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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover

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We really need to get Richard a flight item soon, y'all. How else are he and Mereth supposed to enjoy long romantic midnight flights together as they diligently scour the countryside of all our enemies?
 
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Part MMCCLXIII: Silvered Webs
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    • Silvered Webs​

    Fourth Day of the Fifth Month 293 AC

    "It does seem likely that our friend Alvar is in need of rescuing," you allow, looking to Embra. "However, it would be best to check in some more private setting besides." So saying you lead the others, including the three hirelings, from the busy chaotic environs of the Pendulum of Fate.

    Flying through the craggy underside of the Cyan Keep, you notice many pairs of eyes peering out from shadowy corners and hidden nooks, most of them unfriendly. This seems a place akin to ill-reputed twisted alleyways, though to your eyes at least this seems an odd place for such dark dealings.

    Something of your bemusement must have shown on your face, for one of the hawk-kin twins, Krenal you think, spits and explains, "It used to be small hiresword companies down here, guards, petty enchanters, that sort of thing, but it's a stone's throw from dishonorable hiresword to other less savory doings: usury, selling protection... they always go down not up, and the gags never shit 'round their nests, so the Sultan don't have cause to meddle. The Pendulum's about the only place you can trust 'round here."

    The slim dark-haired archer who claims to have served in the armies of the Sultan scoffs: "Shows what you know. Some of them best raiders in the whole Dominion get hired straight out of the Hollows and they keep to the drums."

    "While the discussion is fascinating to a foreigner such as myself, perhaps now might not be the best time to have it," you interject firmly. "I would much appreciate your aid in finding a place where I might find some peace to work magic."

    Grem, the other brother, answers though he does not speak, merely clear his throat and points out a path through the labyrinth of overhanging stone.

    Finally you reach a small cave delved deep into the stone of the mountainous island above for some unknown purpose.

    "This again," Waymar sighs as he lays eyes at the silver mirror that seems to have grown naturally from the stone. "At least it's not bloody bronze."

    Vee laughs and even Ser Richard sketches a brief smile as you sink into the proper frame of mind to reach over the gulf of space to find the missing mage. Though they try to hide it both, twins look on wide-eyed as you speak a wish, and by it your will is made manifest.

    You take 1 Charisma Damage

    "Alvar? Where are you? Are you safe?" you call into the ether.

    The response when it comes is painfully slow, almost disjointed, though certainly without the carefree edge that simple drink would impart: "Spider... Ghosts... No sense of Humor." With these six cryptic words the connection fades away as Alvar falls back into some uneasy slumber.

    "Does anyone here know of any spiders or ghosts sadly bereft of a sense of humor?" you ask, not hoping for much in reply. Come what may you can simply scry the mage and then will yourself and your companions tither.

    Surprisingly it is Waymar who answers: "What if it's Ghost spiders? There's a sort of beast that can move like a ghost, but it's alive and..."

    "Phase spiders!" Embra exclaims. "I read about those, only... well, they are not very smart. They may be smarter than common beasts, but I can't imagine them kidnapping someone from the middle of the city, much less having any appreciation of humor, positive or negative."

    "So maybe whoever was after this Alvar fellow tossed him to the hounds, or whatever passes for them 'round here, and they wrapped him up for later," Vee interjects. "Regular spiders do that, too."

    With that unfortunate image now lodged firmly in your mind you turn to the scrying mirror and speak yet a second wish, to see and not just hear the sell-spell.

    You take 1 Charisma Damage

    Dozens, scores of spindly-limbed spiders as long as a man's height scuttle over intricate silvery-grey webs that look by rights far too delicate to accommodate their bulk. From what you can see of the walls of the structure it seems to be a cylinder. At first there seems to be some sort of holes in the walls through which the spiders are coming and going, but then you realize that they are in fact flickering in and out of corporeal existence beyond your ability to see.


    It is only by shifting the perspective until the spell reaches its limits that you can find its focus, the mage you sought. So lightly is he bound in a shroud of webbing. Unfortunately, he and similar bundles look to be by far the most precious objects in the entire nest. You certainly cannot follow your first impulse and simply burn spiders and webbing both.

    What do you do?

    [] Alvar does not look to be in any immediate danger, best find who put him in that trap before trying to spring it from the inside
    -[] Write in plan of investigation

    [] Rescue him at once
    -[] Write in plan of attack

    OOC: The nest seems to be webbing filled tube thirty feet in diameter. You have no idea how far it goes up or down except that it's more then scrying's 10ft. range.
     
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    • egoo said:
    We would try to eat something.
    I'm not sure what, but we'd try.
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    Give the person a Insightful cookie dammit! Spot on! :p

    This reminds me pretty sure we missed our chance to loot the reliquery of Lost Gods' Idols in Braavos. Could totally have had a picknick with Yss with those CE idols.
     
    Can we port in and hit the whole area with non-lethal breath weapon or something so we can capture the spiders without harming their captives?
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Sadly your breath weapon is just various degrees of fire and even merciful fire would burn the webbing. Plus you have no idea how hurt Alvar. If he is bad enough off he could die even of Non-lethal damage.
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    What about precise Merciful Firedarts to knock out the spiders while Vee quickly frees and heals the Witch dude?
     
    What was the feat that let us cast spells on things in the ethereal plane? Or are phase psiders linked to the astral?
     
    What about the other people there?

    We can just teleport in, and then possibly out.

    We could also threaten them. A large buffed red dragon appearing from nowhere is something nothing wants to deal with.

    And they have int 7
     
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    Teleport in, Resilient Sphere ourselves and the Witch, with as many other captives in the RS as possible, free them all, then Teleport them back out.

    Phase Spiders can't Ethereal Jaunt through a Force barrier.
     
    Teleportation might be blocked or outright disrupted. I remember phase spider silk having some interesting dimensional properties... But it is not something I am super worried about.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Teleport in, Resilient Sphere ourselves and the Witch, with as many other captives in the RS as possible, free them all, then Teleport them back out.

    Phase Spiders can't Ethereal Jaunt through a Force barrier.
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    Once we secure the prisoners, we should get a few spiders as well. They will make excellent test subjects right alongside that ethereal scarab we stole from Mammon.
     
    Aren't phase spiders sapient? they may have simply been hired to store him for later, we should not attack before attempting to negotiate.
     
    Goldfish said:
    ill look like after we give them all of their equipment
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    They have Rapid Shot. Why doesn't their full attack show it?
    Goldfish said:
    We really need to get Richard a flight item soon, y'all. How else are he and Mereth supposed to enjoy long romantic midnight flights together as they diligently scour the countryside of all our enemies?
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    My idea is to make a Dragonscale Cloak from Tia-chan, but somehow "armour for Dany" became a mantra.
    Goldfish said:
    Phase Spiders can't Ethereal Jaunt through a Force barrier.
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    Reads like "jet fuel can't melt steel beams".
     
    The line about "no sense of humor" is also suspicious, i think they might have been keeping watch over him, but he kept provoking them and they decided to cocoon him to shut him up.
     
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