North by Northwest (storyline)/2023-04-07 - What a Tangled Web we Cleave (log)

Olaesta 7-8, 5123

Disclaimer

This log is purely intended as an archival record of spoken words and actions of characters within the game as could be witnessed by the character who was present to record them. The player posting it holds no position on the veracity, falsity, legitimacy, nor illegitimacy of any character dialogue, opinions, perspectives, interpretations, and stances presented herein.

Synopsis

Several hours after tiny spiders were seen roaming the Lower Dragonsclaw forest, trees stir in the evening. As adventurers go to investigate, a town trapper wanders by, gossiping about how someone vanished into thin air--and then other civilians think about feeling something in the ground. Another one says he saw someone disappear in the Upper Trollfang, due southwesternly.

The group gets pulled into a series of three disparate tunnels, where they find Arachne worshippers and spiders of varying sizes roaming. Underground battles break out, but amidst them, peopl spot a figure in a bone-inlaid dusty cloak, with sunken black eyes, ruddy skin, blood-matted hair, and ashen bone studs in his eyebrows and lips.

Toward the ends of the tunnels, adventurers discover cocoons and break them open to find corpses with scars marking them as members or former members of the Blameless. Back above ground, spiders attack Wehnimer's Landing; adventurers battle them back and the tunnel groups eventually dig their way back to the surface to join that fray.

Editing Protocol of this Log

• NPC dialogue, NPC actions, and PC dialogue or actions which NPCs react to are bolded.
• Actions are edited out unless they come from NPCs, are necessary to understand the context of surrounding dialogue that meets all other criteria, or are within the first three of a PC's responses to an NPC who was directing actions or dialogue toward them.
• Greetings, farewells, dialogue on OOC ESP channels, and dialogue related to various services including but not limited to healing, resurrection, locksmithing, armor adjustments, and spellups are edited out unless they come from NPCs, are directed toward NPCs, or are necessary to understand the context of surrounding dialogue that meets all other criteria.
• Dialogue in languages other than Common is presented from the perspective of a character who only knows Common so as not to give preferential treatment to languages which the logging character knows.
• IC group whispers are excluded so as not to give preferential treatment to the group which the logging character is in.
• OOC whispers that don't come from NPCs are excluded due to being OOC.
• Visible whispers are presented from the perspective of a third-party observer.
• Other dialogue not mentioned above is included.
• Travel between a starting room and destination room is excluded unless it shows off unique and newly created rooms.
• Combat is excluded.

Log

Hunter Gossip

[Town Square Central]

This is the heart of the main square of Wehnimer's Landing. The impromptu shops of the bazaar are clustered around this central gathering place, where townsfolk, travellers, and adventurers meet to talk, conspire or raise expeditions to the far-flung reaches of Elanith. At the north end, an old well, with moss-covered stones and a craggy roof, is shaded from the moonlight by a strong, robust tree. The oak is tall and straight, and it is apparent that the roots run deep. You also see a sinuous bone white serpent, the Ardimas disk, the Basteel disk, the Niffly disk, a grim will-o-wisp spirit that is flying around, the crab-shaped Rasson disk, a silver-tipped smoke grey wolf, the Kialeigh disk, an elated forest spirit that is flying around, the Paster disk, the Chamorr disk, a damp ebon seed-eyed dusky-grained zebrawood mandrake, the web-draped Missoni disk, the repousse copper Perigourd disk raised in leafy designs, a lazy wild deep black dog, a floppy-eared white puppy masked with a patch of void black fur, the faenor Chandrellia disk inlaid with intersecting bands of jet, the Falvicar disk, a large acorn, a large acorn, the Belrum disk, some wolifrew lichen, a large acorn, the Katissa disk, some wolifrew lichen, some wolifrew lichen, some ambrominas leaf, some wolifrew lichen, some basal moss, some ambrominas leaf, a large acorn, a sarmoc potion, a large acorn, a large acorn, a large acorn, the Ussey disk, an old well, some wide stone benches with some stuff on it, an herbal remedy donation bin and a round silver-banded barrel.

Speaking to Perigourd, Missoni says, "Still a touch of winter in the breeze."

Speaking to Ikeye, Chandrellia asks, "Is your spirit near?"

Speaking to a pale-faced coppery barn owl, Perigourd says, "Might want to get out of the rain."

Speaking to Perigourd, Chandrellia says, "Owls love rain, its like a natual birdbath to them."

A great clap of thunder rattles the sky.

Speaking to Tikba, Chandrellia says, "Well if my wisp would stop attacking me I would be better."

[General] Nikkolaii asks, "Storm coming?"

[General] Chandrellia thinks, "Just looks like some cool air comming in off teh ocean right now."

Kialeigh says, "You know.. You'd think I'd get more rain clothing with this horrid weather all the time."

Kialeigh says, "At least it's not raining blood..."

Kialeigh ominously says, "Yet."

Tikba asks, "Is the scarab paining you more?"

Speaking to Kiyna, Vaemyr says, "It has seemed awefully active tonight."

Thunder rumbles in the distance.

[General] Nikkolaii thinks, "Rain ond wind on coastal cliffs."

[General] Chandrellia thinks, "Ok looks like a storm breewing off teh coast headed inland."

Speaking to her chartreuse will-o'-wisp, Chandrellia says, "Ok back in your jail cell ya lil miscreant."

[General] Thrassus exclaims, "Be wary, it's great storm spiders making that noise!"

Speaking heartily to Pukk, Chamorr says, "Howdy."

Pukk exclaims, "Vaemyr I choose you!"

Pukk recites:

"Everybody join Vaemyr!"

[General] Falvicar thinks, "A little rain doesn't bug me.."

[General] Chandrellia thinks, "Can we, not, mention spiders please." [note: tiny spiders had been seen running through the forest hours earlier in the day]

Kialeigh says, "Maybe Trouble will get pulled out tonight."

Speaking to Vaemyr, Pukk says, "Too late. I have choosen."

[General] Mishon asks, "Oooooh, someone say spiders?"

[General] Chandrellia exclaims, "Ok that does it, I will sendmy Hippo to bite your ankles!"

[General] Mishon exclaims, "Got to find me first!"

[General] Mishon thinks, "I like how cutsie their little faces are...."

The tops of several trees stir in the Dragonsclaw forest.

Chandrellia says, "Well ok then."

Kiyna says, "Oh dear..."

Vaemyr says, "Heading to the forest..."

Chandrellia says, "That, seems like a bog thing."

Vaemyr says, "Be prepared for spiders perhaps..."

Chandrellia says, "Ok I give up I'mnot speaking again."

Earthdiver says, "Ok, who is ready for some traumatically large spiders."

[travel throughout]

Astrilyn says, "Spiders..."

[Lower Dragonsclaw, Forest]

Pine cones are scattered about the ground here, knocked down by the movement of small animals through the trees and the wind that buffets this outlying section of the forest. You also see an animated flayed gigas disciple, a rolton, a damp ebon seed-eyed dusky-grained zebrawood mandrake, the repousse copper Perigourd disk raised in leafy designs, the web-draped Missoni disk, a lazy wild deep black dog, a kobold and a wide dirt-covered trail.

Vaemyr says, "Here's where there were some earlier."

Speaking heartily to Satrn, Chamorr says, "Join vaemyr."

Missoni murmurs, "It was just the wind perhaps."

Chandrellia asks, "Can we hold for STormy please?"

Pukk yells, "Kobold invasion!"

[General] Pukk exclaims, "Kobold invasion!"

[General] Pukk exclaims, "Run!"

Falvicar recites:

"Kobolds, unite"

[General] Kiyna thinks, "Pukk, please."

[General] Dergoatean exclaims, "The horror! The horror!"

Speaking to a kobold, Kialeigh says, "We aren't here to hurt yer village. Go away."

Speaking to a kobold, Pukk exclaims, "It's not true! They are here to steal your loot!"

Chamorr heartily says, "Die."

Chandrellia says, "I dont think it was the kobolds moving the trees."

Pukk says, "Kobolds can do these things you know."

Kialeigh says, "Sounds like them... grabbing trunks and shaking them.. making scary monster noises."

Pukk yells, "Run away little buddies, run away!"

Speaking to Kayse, Chandrellia asks, "Can I join your group?"

Chandrellia asks, "Please?"

Speaking to Chandrellia, Kayse says, "If you wish, yes."

Kialeigh says, "Trouble is very excited tonight."

Speaking to a damp ebon seed-eyed dusky-grained zebrawood mandrake, Perigourd says, "Little focus there Spud."

Kialeigh says, "Our normal steed is in the stable tonight, lover."

Vaemyr says, "Gonna check the foothills..."

A town trapper moves through the area, "...and then I looked around, and he was gone. Just up and vanished into thin air..." he walks off, talking with some townspeople.

Irval asks, "Vanished...into the air?"

Pukk says, "I wish he would have stayed around so we could hear more."

Vaemyr says, "So something taking people into the trees..."

Kiyna says, "Don't like it... feels like spiders to me..."

Pukk says, "Babies. Those things are dangerous."

Stormyrain says, "That's not what was said--was it in the trees? At the docks? Middle of town."

Irval asks, "Same thing that grabbed people by the types of metal they were wearing ya think?"

Vaemyr says, "I'm guessing larger spiders this time... but."

Kayse echoes, "Larger."

Stormyrain says, "They didn't say where. or even when."

Speaking in Sylvankind, Kelfyr says something you don't understand.

[General] Eric thinks, "Did anyone else feel that near town? Like the ground just...wait a se..." [OOC note: to be clear, this wasn't an "actual" thought on ESP, but a creative monsterbold message sent out to the Landing area]

Pukk says, "Just one summoned baby can endanger the whole world."

Pukk says, "Near town."

[General] Goldstr thinks, "Aye we did."

Speaking to a town guard, Pukk exclaims, "Stop the roltons!"

Speaking to Missoni, Perigourd says, "The treetops were clear."

Kiyna asks, "Something pulling people into the ground...?"

Missoni worriedly asks, "Pulling them?"

Pukk says, "I guess that give the express pulling my leg a new meaning."

[General] Thomas thinks, "Aye, I was out coming back from a hunt, few good pelts found tonight, was talking to another hunter from town and then...he just vanished."

Chandrellia says, "Well I know two people that are ssafe, me and Pukk, they would send us both back pretty fast."

Bernadette softly says, "Folk is vannishin."

[General] Chandrellia asks, "And where were you when this event took place?"

Vaemyr says, "Hmm."

[General] Thomas thinks, "Trollfang I think? Bit southwesternly..."

Into the Tunnels

[Upper Trollfang]

The trail is flat and the going is easy through this part of the forest. The high branches of the hardwood trees creating a cooling canopy of leaves. The shadows prevent much of the smaller plant life from establishing themselves and you can see most of the surrounding hillsides quite clearly. You also see an animated flayed gigas disciple, a lazy wild deep black dog and a lesser orc.

Suddenly the ground breaks apart and dozens of gossamer threads coil upward and drag Kiyna down into the darkness!

[everyone gets dragged down... though it's worth nothing that there were at least three possible tunnel systems they ended up in, splitting up the group]

[Deep Cavern, Core]

The cavern opens up into a large chamber, with giant spider webs stretching across the ceiling and walls. The chamber is so high that it disappears into the darkness, and the walls are dotted with crevices and web-draped holes. The air is thick with the musty scent of decaying flesh. You also see the web-draped Missoni disk, the repousse copper Perigourd disk raised in leafy designs and a pitch black tunnel enveloped with thick glistening webs.

Also here: Astrilyn, Pukk, Earthdiver, Renowned Lady Satrn, Irval, Town Councilor Kiyna, Perigourd, Mourdeyan, Goldstr, Missoni, Alosaka, Bernadette, Lord Thrassus

Suddenly Kialeigh comes falling into view!

Suddenly Chamorr comes falling into view!

Suddenly Vaemyr comes falling into view!

Alosaka says, "What the."

Suddenly Stormyrain comes falling into view!

Suddenly Kelfyr comes falling into view!

Mourdeyan exclaims, "Nooooo!"

Earthdiver says, "Ooo."

Vaemyr says, "Uhhh."

Kiyna says, "What in the..."

Speaking in Sylvankind, Kelfyr says something you don't understand.

Kiyna says, "On your guard, everyone."

Perigourd says, "I do not like this.."

Alosaka says, "Webs. Webs all over the place."

Vaemyr says, "Be ready."

Mourdeyan says, "Nor do I."

Missoni nervously says, "Webs."

Mourdeyan says, "Gads, the ground et us."

[General] Stormyrain thinks, "Mind your step around the trollfang..a group of us have been pulled into a cavern."

[OOC note: This log is a bit problematic to present. I had two characters each in different tunnels, but both spent most of their time away from the main group, so I'll just cut to thoughts and unique room descriptions here.]

[Deep Cavern]

The ground beneath your feet is slick with slimy spider silk. The air in this room is thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying plant matter. The walls in this chamber are rough and uneven, with jagged stalactites and stalagmites jutting out at odd angles. Dozens of tiny arachnids skittering away from your approach.

[General] Pukk thinks, "Chandrellia was talking about a dangerous cave earlier...prophetic."

[travel]

[General] Vaemyr thinks, "I went into a tunnel... there's a Cavern there."

[Creatures are found throughout the tunnels with description of a bald Arachne intercessor, a red-spotted huge black spider, a tiny crimson spider, a huge bulbous incarnadine arachnid, a thinly-veiled Arachne zealot, a red-robed Arachne priestess

[Realm] Vaemyr thinks, "This seems fairly empty at the moment..."

[Realm] Tikba asks, "Where was the entrance to the tunnel?"

[Realm] Earthdiver thinks, "Found some cocoons."

[Realm] Tikba distractedly thinks, "Never mind."

[Realm] Earthdiver thinks, "Spider contact."

[Realm] Irval thinks, "Just dealt with a cavern full of Arachne."

[General] Mourdeyan thinks, "Webbed...."

[General] Irval exclaims, "You left me vaemyr!"

[Realm] Vaemyr thinks, "I found cocoons."

[Realm] Vaemyr thinks, "Trying to open them..."

[Realm] The ghost of Kelfyr thinks, "The spiders drag the webbed around. Including webbed bodies."

[General] Kiyna thinks, "I found a cocoon. Bashing it."

[General] Perigourd thinks, "We're coming with those we can."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "..dead and --well..cocooned."

[General] Irval thinks, "Arachne Incursion."

[Realm] Raelee asks, "A wall... it appears to have been scratched with nails or claws. Perhaps this is where someone attempted to escape?"

[General] Bellaja thinks, "Many of us have no idea how to find you."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "We are in the cavern we were pulled into from Trollfang, the southwestern area..then we are I think through the tunnel and to the far south."

[combat]

[General] Irval thinks, "We've explored the tunnel and found a Nail scratched earthen wall...I think this is maybe the end of one tunnel after the bit of darkness."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "We cannot be moved while webbed..or transported it seems."

[General] The ghost of Mishon asks, "Does untrammel work?"

[General] The ghost of Kayse thinks, "The web is off us all now."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "--for now."

A figure moves by quickly, wrapped in a bone-inlaid dusty cloak. His eyes are black and sunken, his skin ruddy and weathered. His hair is dark reddish-brown and matted with blood. Ashen bone studs protrude from his eyebrows and lips. Blood stains the corners of his mouth as he grins, moving away into the darkness.

[General] Chandrellia thinks, "I have no way of finding any of you."

[General] Perigourd thinks, "We found some cocoons in a lower tunnel that we can destroy."

[General] The ghost of Tikba thinks, "The entrance to the cave is near the Ranger Guild, a bit southeast."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "Tikba is down here somewhere---being drug around by the spiders."

[General] The ghost of Tikba resignedly agrees, "Yes."

[General] The ghost of Pukk thinks, "I think this spider is dragging back to it's nest to feed it babies."

[General] The ghost of Tikba thinks, "I am just a bit north of those near the entrance to the tunnel. But there are many spiders and cultists."

[General] Nazca asks, "What's going on in trollfang?"

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "Dinner, for spiders. We're it."

[General] Nazca thinks, "I just ended up in a tunnel with some sort of arachne priests trying to sacrifice me."

[General] The ghost of Stormyrain thinks, "Flee."

[General] The ghost of Mishon thinks, "You know the normal, evening of darkness, death and spiders."

[General] The ghost of Pukk thinks, "Well, I guess I'm going to be departing here soon."

[Realm] Vaemyr thinks, "We found a body in our cocoon."

[Realm] Perigourd thinks, "The townsfolk that disappeared, likely."

[Realm] Vaemyr thinks, "No... blameless."

[Realm] Perigourd asks, "Hmm.. Perhaps from months ago?"

[General] Stormyrain thinks, "I would come to see if there is lore--but I need to heal and find spells before I attempt that nightmare again. Plus there are still dead in the tunnels."

[General] Stormyrain adds, "Dead that we know."

[General] Kayse thinks, "Yes--there are many not able to get there yet because no one is attempting to help."

[General] Perigourd thinks, "We have two fallen with us now."

[Realm] Alosaka thinks, "The body we found bears a crown-scar, like many of the Blameless. It may have been the blacksmith in the Settlement, who was known to have one."

[Realm] Kiyna exclaims, "The other cocoon room has been overrun. They're dragging me around, but I'm not dead. Could use some help instead of postulating, please!"

[General] Directed to Kayse, Stormyrain thinks, "Exactly."

[Realm] Perigourd thinks, "We found a similar body."

[Realm] Perigourd thinks, "Same scar, many red dorts over his body."

[Realm] The ghost of Kelfyr thinks, "It's fine, I'm sure the cocoons are fun to play with."

Mourdeyan says, "Can't pick it up or drag."

[the group that the logging character is with locates a cocoon at the end of the tunnel and destroys it, finding inside...]

>l body

The body is that of a human male but has shriveled into perhaps half of its original size. Its eyes are empty sockets and its skin is wrinkled and ashen pale. Its bald head bears a faded crown-shaped scar and hundreds of small red dots cover its desiccated body.

[...and that's where the log ends. Spiders attack the town above ground, so a fight commences there too, then the tunnel groups eventually dig their way out to join that fray.]