Move 350: Supply Trip PrepTunnels--Early, Day 37 (Marpenoth 20)
The various discussion eventually died down. Watches were started, and they passed without any problems occurring. Renn got the scroll of priest spells that Olaf had been carrying and Blacky took his shield to use. His chain mail was removed, but until the cabin was opened, it was going to have to be carried by someone. At some point during the watches, Arachne healed the slight burns that Jana had taken during the fight with the ropers.
When everyone awoke and finished their preparations for the day, Arachne released them from their smelly coop via another shiny portal. Everyone seemed to be in full health at the start of their day. The party tended to their final business before Arachne and Aloysius departed for the surface.
"I've got invisibility spells for two of us," Echo said. "If we want to go that route. I suggest using them on me and Azrun, but that's open for debate. I also have two magic missile spells, a spell for detecting magic, and that scrying spell." She smiled, "If anyone cares. I thought since there are only going to be five of us down here today, we should all have a real clear idea of who could do what." She seemed restless.
"Oh, but why break with tradition?" Jana muttered to herself. She took a breath then forced a smile.
"Yes, that's a great idea. We need to address several factors," Jana said. "First, how to detect them before they shoot those nasty tentacle things at us. Has anyone noticed how many things there are down here with slimy, nasty tentacles or tongues? It's gross. Anyway, second, we need to figure out how to free anyone who does get zapped and get back to a safe distance. Third, we gotta figure out how to kill the things without getting right up in their faces. I mean, unless you can figure out how to keep 'em from zapping me with the tentacles. I can kill one by myself, but not if I'm weak and trapped like that. Same for Blacky. I dunno if whatever it was making Blacky feel weak is the same as what those grell things did. It doesn't seem like it, since when the grells zapped me I couldn't move at all and these things made you feel weak, but I dunno how magic stuff works so I'll leave that question to you, Renn."
"I'm not sure either," Renn grinned sheepishly. "If it is magical in nature, I can attempt to remove the weakening effects with magic. But we wouldn't know until I cast the spell whether or not it's a poison secretion, or a magical effect to be dispelled."
Blacky strapped the shield to his arm and drew his hand axe. "I'm going to try blocking the strand with the shield if it gets shot at me. If it sticks to the shield, I can just drop it. Maybe that'll work, I don't know, I've never used a shield before." Blacky relayed the tactic to Jana for comment, then added "Echo, maybe you should see if you can value those gems for Arachne before they head to the surface."
Jana went over to Olaf's body and lifted his holy symbol gingerly. She made a face and shuddered. "Uhm, does anyone care if I borrow this for awhile? I'll return it later, uhm, to his church."
Since there were no objections, she removed the object, still grimacing, and wiped it off before stowing it in a pouch.
Aloysius didn't object and didn't appear to have any reaction whatsoever to Jana's request. "We know not what time of day it is on the surface, do we?" he asked in general.
"It'll take a while." Echo said hesitatingly. "I should've done it while we were resting. I'm sorry."
"Does everybody have something with a blade?" Echo asked. "If one of us gets caught, priority needs to be cutting yourself free."
"I've got a crossbow and a couple of ranged spells. But spells don't always work against them."
"Truly, if we can keep them out of the range of their tentacles, we may be able to do some damage to the creatures at no risk to ourselves. That's what I hope, at least," Renn grinned.
Jana nodded. "Those things looked pretty tough, too, so I'd recommend at least a short sword."
Renn patted the longsword at his hip. "Aye, I have my blade, hitting the ropers, that's a totally different dilemma," he said with a frown.
"All I've got is a dagger," Echo said. "It's magical though."
"Are we sending Olaf's armor to the surface to go in the cottage when it's opened?"
"Yes," Jana nodded, "unless someone wants to wear it now."
Renn shook his head in negation. "I've the chain of my people, so I'm well protected."
"Hey," Jana said, "maybe we could cut some of that rock-glass shit like a body shield and when those tentacle things shoot out, maybe it'll just stick on to those and we can advance on 'em that way..."
Azrun was watching quietly down the tunnel that they were going to set off down, "I've got two magic missiles and two webs in case we need to run."
"Good idea," Renn said as he made his final preparations. "I've four minor healing boons prayed for, four of the next tier, and then two of my third stronger heal. Other than healing spells, I've two danger sensing prayers, a spell of silence, one which dispels magic, a creation of food and water, and a warding glyph.
"I've also a few spells which Corellon grants me every day, but I'm not sure how they could be of use. Should the occassion arise, I'll use them however," Renn laughed, then looked down the passageway in the direction they'd all planned on going. "Once we get to the area where we fought the ropers, I'll cast one of my sixth sense spells, in the hope that it may give us as much advance notice as possible.
"Oh, and by all means, use your invisibility spells as you see fix Echo," Renn said with a smile. "You and Azrun are good choices for the spells, I think."
Echo nodded and cast her spell. After she disappeared, she asked, "Azrun? Do you want the other one?"
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