Move 351: Aloysius and Arachne LeaveTunnels--Early, Day 37 (Marpenoth 20)
Arachne created her traveling pocket that the group had seen her use on both the last supply trip and her trip to take Daelen's body to the surface. Olaf's body and his unclaimed belongings were quickly loaded, and Aloysius was informed that he had to ride in there too. Wasting no time once that was done, Arachne disappeared from the tunnel with the quiet popping noise that accompanied her teleportive comings and goings.
Renn shifted from one foot to the other as Arachne did her vanishing act, then leaned back against the wall of the tunnel.
The five remaining group members worked on their plans for the day. Various spells and strategies were discussed, and Echo made herself invisible.
Azrun watched quietly as Arachne made her preparations. He looked sadly at the spot where she had been a second ago, "I'm ready for the invisibility spell, Echo."
"Gods, but this is such a bad idea," Jana muttered as Arachne and Aloysius disappeared. She sulked for a little while while the spellcasters discussed their options.
"We got out voted and its too late to do anythign about it now." Azrun said.
"Who the hell is 'we'? I don't think you get to be a member of the This Idea Sucks Club unless you actually say something to that effect during the decision-making process," Jana shot back.
"We still gotta come up with a damned plan," Jana said with a weary sigh. "Like I was saying, we gotta figure out three things. We gotta make sure we see 'em first. I hope Renn's danger-sensing spell will do that. We've gotta figure out how to kill the damned things from a distance. If we do get zapped, we gotta figure out how to get everyone free and back to a safe distance. I think we ought to try cutting some slabs of that glass stuff and use it as a body shield. I want the thing to grab 'em. I'm hoping once it's got something, it can't just let it go and zap at us again."
With his head bowed, Renn nodded as Jana outlined her thoughts. He sat down with his legs crossed and laid his hands on his knees as he rested with his back against the rock. "These ropers, they don't move that quickly, so if we do detect them early, bows, slings, thrown axes, whatever we have, we may be able to keep out of the range of their tentacles," Renn shrugged and looked up.
"Even if we don't detect the creatures until they are upon us, we could fall back, as long as no one is caught up in their cursed appendages," Renn suggested. "If one person is caught, we do our best to free that person, and then fall back.
"Before we get started though, I should like to create our food and water for the day, rather than work upon our stores," Renn continued in serious mien as he looked at the other three visible people. "That way, should anything happen to me, you will have another day of water to hold off until Arachne and Aloysius return. Not that I'm planning on getting eaten today," he said with a quick change of tone and a toothsome smile. "But, we should plan for as many outcomes as we can. Also, if I am slain, use what I have to further your journey... my mace, my goods, my enchanted elvish mail, if any of you can fit into it comfortably," Renn chuckled with a raised eyebrow.
"Should we fight the ropers this day, I'll try to cast a spell which will strengthen our wills and our hearts, while weakening those of our foes. It mayn't effect *them*," Renn emphasized, "but it will aid us."
"That's a good idea," Echo agreed. She still sounded strange. "How are we going to cut the rock?"
"Perhaps Renn is the better option for the invisibility spell. If someone get nabbed, he can move to help without worrying about getting tagged until after he gets a chance to get that person free. It also keeps one of our fighters hidden from sight. Just a suggestion." He turned and look back toward the direction they were heading.
"I'll cast the spell on whoever wants it," Echo said with an funny tone in her voice. "Renn has a bow and he might want to use that before anyone gets caught though. You have a bow too," she sighed. "Never mind."
"I dunno," Jana admitted. "I figured I'm bash some with my mace and then we could ship at it with daggers or something. Once we got something roughly the right shape, we can chip notches on each side opposite each other, then wrap some rope around it a few times. The notches should hold the rope in place and make a handle for us to carry them."
"Maybe it'd be best if you saved your other invisibility spell, Echo," Jana said. "That way, if you have to sneak up on something, you can whack it then disappear again."
Azrun looked at her calmly, "I suggested we all go back to the surface together back in the cavern where Olaf died. I guess you didn't hear me suggest it then." He turned to look back down the tunnel.
"I sure's hell didn't hear you saying anything more!" Jana fired back. "This was a stupid, moronic, dangerous and stupid plan! Yeah, I said it was stupid," she continued ranting, her voice growing higher in pitch, "but you guys never fucking listen to me anyway so it's up to the rest of you to say when something's a bad idea and to damned well stand up for that. All that happened is everyone said, 'oh, gee, Jana thinks it a bad idea so must mean it's the right fucking thing to do!' This is fucking suicidal but here we are, marching off with our heads up our asses. Fuck!"
Azrun turned to face her once more, "I offered the idea to begin with and no one seemed to care for it. Even if I had spoke up later, it would have been two versus five. If you don't want to go on down the tunnel, then make a suggestion for an alternative action. Otherwise, we continue with the plan at hand."
Clearly in no mood to be reasonable, Jana ranted shrilly, "If you'd spoken up, maybe someone else who didn't speak up woulda spoken up and we wouldn't still be down here, dammit! This is just fucking insane!" Jana pulled out her mace and stalked off down the tunnel a short distance. "Stay back," she warned, then smashed her mace against the glassy rock-covered wall.
Azrun shook his head and sat down next to the wall of the tunnel and sighed.
Jana slammed her mace into the wall hard enough to send vibrations down her arm. Although the material covering the walls and floor looked and felt like glass, it was apparently strong like rock, at least at that spot, since it did not even crack.
"Ow, shit!" Jana yelped. Looking seriously pissed off, she smashed her mace into the glassy rock a couple more times before giving up and stalking back to the others.
"Not sure how well this will go over, but I've a suggestion," Renn said quickly. "If Echo were to make me invisible, I could stay ahead of the group, maybe a hundred feet or so, to the best of my estimation. Between the invisibility and the danger sensing prayer of Corellon, it may suffice to give us the advantage we need.
"Should I find a roper before it finds me, I could line it in a fae light, to help us find it all the more easily. And Blacky, or Jana, could bend my bow if I were invisible. Though," Renn raised a hand as he explained further, "neither of you may be trained in its use, you've seen Azrun and myself use a bow long enough that you could attempt to hit the creatures."
"I have a shortbow," Jana interjected. "I'm not a great shot, but I know how to use it."
Renn held a hunting arrow in his hands as Jana made her return. "If we have no rock, I can attempt to provide wood," he offered. "Corellon grants me a prayer with which I can...mold essence from the plane of Shadow into something organic from this world."
He snapped the arrowshaft and plucked a splinter from the break. "This is all I need to create a sheet of wood. It could be quite large," Renn explained, "and we'd need to use an axe to chop the created wood into the desired shape. But it would follow the same idea as your shield of rock, Jana."
"Okay," Jana agreed, rubbing her arm and grimacing. "Damn, that stings."
Echo spoke up from near where Renn was standing. She had a catch in her voice, "I'm one of the ones who wanted to do things this way. I see now that probably means my thoughts aren't worth much. But I think Renn's ideas are good for what that's worth."
"Just 'cuz you aren't in the This Idea Sucks Club doesn't mean you shouldn't speak up now," Jana said with a quirky smile. "Renn's ideas are good. Anyone got any others? We oughta consider all the possibilities."
Azrun shrugged, "Renn's idea works for me. A quick yelp can bring the rest of running to help if things go bad.....not like there's any chance of that happening down here, of course."
"I didn't realize the club was so vehement," Echo said, sounding less upset. "Since everyone seems okay with Renn's plan, I'll cast my other spell on him." She began chanting quietly.
"It's the This Idea Really, Really, Really Sucks Club," Jana said with a smile. She sighed and added, "Sorry, I'm just a little tense, I guess. This place is really getting to me and Arachne told me something I'm not too happy about. So Renn, when can you make that wood?"
"What did Arachne tell you?" Echo asked. "Is it something you don't want to talk about now?"
Azrun jerked at Jana's words, "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" He caught himself and then calmed down, "Sorry, just worried me. I do't want anything happening to you or her."
Jana shook her head. "It's nothing I can do anything about. Arachne offered to, you know, check on things, and then told me that she couldn't find nothing wrong, but that some, uhm, 'higher power' was blocking her. She never did explain just what that meant. But, like I said, there's nothing I can do about it right now, so let's get our shields ready and get moving. Oh, yeah, Renn, I think you oughta carry one too. We've already run across stuff that isn't fooled by invisibility."
"A higher power blocking her?" Echo repeated. "You're right though. There's nothing we can find out about that with her gone. Let's get the shields and go."
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