By the time I’d returned to the Book Baron, Ceylas and Cambrin had both attuned to their respective items. Ceylas was chowing down on a bowl of soup with a thick chunk of buttered bread. Cambrin was wandering the stacks. He carried several tomes of all colours and sizes including a few scrolls.
I sat down across from Ceylas. “He’s not planning to haul all of those down into the sewer with us is he?” I asked, gesturing to Cambrin.
She shook her head. “Jovial is going to hold them here for him. Cambrin never gets out of here without at least a dozen books to read.” She picked up the bowl and slurped the rest of the soup before putting it back on the table with a grin. “I’m ready if you are.”
“Yeah, I think I’m ready.” I said, fingering the amulet that I’d strung around my neck. It didn’t require attunement but it did require alcohol. “Actually,” I stood, “just give me a minute while you call your brother over.”
I headed to the bar where Jovial had settled on his stool, flipping a page of the book he was reading. “Jovial, sorry to disturb you.”
“Not at all, not at all,” the large goliath said as he put a mark into his pages and placed the book beneath the counter. “What can I get for you, friend?”
“I wondered if you might have to go cup.” He fixed me with a very confused look and I chuckled. “Well, a waterskin or something. So that I can take a pint of ale with me?”
“Oh,” he raised an eyebrow, “well I’m sure I can wrangle something. It might not be as elloquant as a waterskin. Does it have to be ale? What about a bottle of wine or whiskey?”
“Wine might suit. I’m not sure I’d have the stomach to down a pint of whiskey on the run.”
His chin tilted. “You’re an odd one Lo’Kryn.”
“Tell me about it.” I waited while he drew a bottle of wine from the rack behind him. But he also lifted up a small cask from a cupboard on the right.
“This wine is from the north. Not a particularly fine bottle but I imagine you’re keeping close to your coin and this will only set you back a single gold,” he said, presenting the bottle. If you’re after something smooth you can down quick, however, I do have this blood-tub. It’s eight pints of honeyed mead from the dwarves in the Dominion.”
“Eight pints, that could be perfect. How much?”
“That’s seven silver.”
“Deal,” I said, pulling one of my gold coins from my pouch. Jovial pushed three silver back across the counter with the cask. I tugged open my haversack and tucked it inside. By the time I was securing the straps over my shoulders again Cambrin had crossed to settle with Jovial about the books.
“Thank you, Jovial,” he said as the Book Baron put them into a cubby behind the counter. Cambrin handed him a few coin and turned to me. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
We headed out into the noon-day sun and returned to the south-east watergate. The same guards stood watch as had the day before.
“Greetings again,” I said with a grin, lifting a hand to wave at the felanine woman who appeared as thrilled to see us as she had yesterday. I pulled the writ from my pocket, showing it to them but they barely glanced at it as they lifted the mechanism that caused the gate to rise. It clanked with heavy chains and Cambrin, Ceylas, and I ducked inside.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ceylas asked, looking at the shreds of the still destroyed wooden door.
“I think it best we continue to move systematically through the sewers as we had begun to yesterday. As the alligator proved, it can venture out to meet us at any point, so we might never come across its lair before it comes upon us, but it is still best to seek it out.”
I nodded, and let Ceylas lead the way into dark corridors of the sewer. At the first intersection she turned north, heading up along the corridor and onto the narrow ledge that carried on north when the sewer channel filled the space between the two sides.
“So,” she whispered, “yesterday we dealt with toads to the right, today we head left?”
“Yes, west and north,” Cambrin confirmed.
She nodded, continuing until we reached an intersection that crossed in both directions. I glanced down, letting my eyes adjust to the limited light. The corridor to the left appeared to be filled with rubble and not much else. “I think that way’s blocked, maybe further on?”
We continued north to the next intersection and this time the corridors in all directions continued into darkness beyond our sight. I was straining every sense to try and tune into our surroundings (Perception: 2+2=4) but could only hear the sloshing of the sewer waters right beside us.
“If we turn here,” Cambrin said, drawing on his memory of the map, “we’ll come to a larger room that aligns with the Palladium Rise.”
I frowned. “But doesn’t the Rise have stories below street level? I’m sure the training arena had been at least this deep into the earth.”
“Yes, but it also has a plumbing system that empties into the sewers. Come, I will show you.”
He gestured for Ceylas to continue and she followed the channel to the west, slowing as it came to a wall and turned left and right. The right corridor ended abruptly at a solid door.
“Do we even need to check out in there?” I asked, eyeing the sturdy door. It was slightly swollen, warping in the frame a little but didn’t appear to have any locks. “The alligator can’t have come from there.”
“I don’t like the idea of leaving threats at our backs,” Ceylas said. “We should check there aren’t any baddies within.”
“I agree,” Cambrin said simply.
I sighed. “Well here’s hoping we don’t get cornered by an alligator when we go inside.”
Ceylas took a moment to inspect the door (Investigation: 8+3=11) before waving me forward. “All clear,” she said, sounding confident. I stood at it, leaning an ear against the wood with one hand resting on the handle. (Perception: 14+2=16) Nothing caught my ear and nothing could catch my nose past the stench of the sewer so I pushed on the door. It was a little sticky so I put some weight into it. (Strength check: 11+1=12) The door nudged open pushing aside a clump of something. The room beyond was in almost pitch darknesses. I let my darkvision settle into the soft shades of monocrome.
The room was a small basement of pipes. I stepped, cautiously inside, moving left to let Cambrin and Ceylas enter behind me. “Nothing here,” I whispered, feeling like keeping my voice low mattered. Perhaps it was the deeper levels of darknesses compared to the corridor, or the way the sound of the watery channels had faded slightly at this end of the sewer maze.
I was turning back to the door when I heard the faintest skitter on the wall behind me. The hiss of something whipped over my shoulder and I heard it slick against the doorframe. Not a creature then, but something else. I glanced at the frame and perhaps there was a slight mound of something there but I couldn’t really make it out. I reached out a hand, touching a slick, sticky substance. I quickly snatched my hand back, wiping it down the leg of my pants.
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“There’s something,” I whispered to the others. They were already searching the darkness for the threat but none of us could see it.
I heard the skitter noise again, this time just to the right of my feet. I swung out blindly at the sound (Quarterstaff (disadvantage): 9+4=13; damage: 1+2=3) and must have hit something with a glancing blow because it squelched beneath the staff so I stomped down in the same direction (Unarmed (disadvantage): 14+4=18; damage: 4+2=6). Another squelch and I felt the slick beneath my foot but the skittering ceased. As I lifted my boot I saw what was left of a dozen small creatures that had been scattered into a spill of hairy legs.
“Bugs or something, I think,” I said to the others.
“Did you get them all?”
“I’m not sure.” I gazed into the darkness of the room.
Cambrin took a defensive stance, putting his back to his sister’s. The weave of light from Ceylas’s spell was already building in her hand and she thrust it out into the room (Eldrich Blast (disadvantage): 19+5=24; damage: 7+3=10). A screach startled all three of us. The light of the spell glimmered across the room and lit up the eight-legged creature that skittered across the far wall. With it’s legs it reached at least ten feet across. I swallowed, realising this creature was not like the bugs I’d smushed under foot.
The large spider hissed at us and lunged at Ceylas who shreiked. (Bite: 12+5=17; damage: 3+1=4; +poison: 7+5=12) (Constitution Save: 14+3=17; half-poison!) Ceylas rolled her shoulder and the spider dropped to her side but her face was tight with pain.
I turned toward the spider and a rush of smaller creatures swarmed up me but I kicked away, nudging them aside and they scattered without doing any damage. “This bitch has little babies, guys.” But honestly, I was more concerned about the big one. It had a soft blue glow from its abdomen where it seemed to be trying to draw together a strange globule.
I lashed out, turning around Cambrin and Ceylas to come down on the large spider with my staff. (Quarterstaff: 6+4=10) My wrist twinged as the wood was battered away but I drew on the core of the new Ki power that coursed through me. I leaned into the momentum to deliver a spinning side kick at the creature’s many eyes (Unarmed: 3+4=7) but I’d misjudged the distance. Following through, I landed on my right foot and immediately kicked out to the front with my left (Flurry of Blows: 13+4=17; damage: 1+2=3) slamming my boot into one of the spider’s legs.
Cambrin stepped up beside Ceylas and stabbed forward with his javelin (Javelin: 4+3=7). The blade had a soft glow to its tip now that I hadn’t noticed the day before. It slipped between the long legs of the spider but Cambrin’s short arms didn’t give him the reach to get at the belly of the beast.
Wary of the creature, and the pain lancing through her from its bite, Ceylas dropped to a crouch, disengaging, and dancing back. She circled her brother to move through the doorway out of the spider’s reach before rising to her full height again and lifting her hand as if readying a blast of her power.
The spider hissed as she left it’s range. It tucked its head slightly, gathering up the goop that had been building under its belly. It spat the slather at Ceylas. A drizzle whipped past Cambrin (Web: 18+5=23). The softly glowing blue threads wrapped Ceylas in it’s icky tendrils and webbed her to the wall. She struggled in place, trying to free herself as the spider braced its legs, glaring a series of luminous eyes at me and Cambrin. It lifted its forelegs at us, warding away our attacks.
A slither of spiders skittered for the door. Cambrin lashed out at them, sweeping with his javelin (Javelin: 13+3=16; damage: 2+1=3) as they passed him to swarm all over Ceylas. Ceylas screamed as she felt them crawling over her arms. She battered away at them as best she could to fend off their dozens of tiny teeth.
I took a second to glance around the room but didn’t spot any other spiders. With the little ones being so tiny I couldn’t defend Ceylas without risking striking her too, so I focused my attention on the large one in front of me. I gripped my staff, swinging it hard (Quarterstaff: 12+4=16; damage: 1+2=3) but barely managed to sweep out a leg. Still, I followed up, leaning in to slam a fist into the harder belly of the creature (Unarmed: 15+4=19; damage: 3+2=5).
It snarled, hissing with pain as it lashed its leg to steady itself. Seeing its attention had turned on me, Cambrin stepped under a leg and stabbed forward with his javelin (Javelin: CRIT! 20+3=23; damage: 2+4+1=7). The sharp end of the javelin pierced the hide of the spider, penetrating deep into her flesh. As he drew it back her innards spilled to the floor in an ooze of puss and ickor. We both turned to Ceylas who was still thrashing about against the spiders swarming all over her body. She gave a shiver, her whole body quivering as she bit down on her suddenly blue-tinged lips (Ice damage from web: 1).
She screamed in frustration and thrust her balled fist, humming with arcane energy at the nearest spiders (Eldrich Blast (disadvantage 20/10): 10+5=15; damage: 2+3=5). A handful of them sizzled away, dropping to the floor with their legs curled and spasming in death throws. The others clustered together, snapping their little fangs against her skin (Bite: 19+3=22; damage: 1+1+4+1=7).
“Get them off me!” Ceylas cried, tears streamed down her face. Her skin was covered in dozens of wounds from their sharp fangs. She’d grown pale and looked tired. Without even thinking I’d circled Cambrin, stepped through the door, and stood beside her.
I reached forward, gripping her arm, and pulled her toward me. The webs clung but I tugged hard (Strength check: 14+1=15) and they tore. Dozens of spiders dropped from her as I pulled her away from their reach and deposited her behind me. I stood in defense against them, grounding my feet and waiting patiently for them to come at me, seeking out their meal.
Cambrin darted forward, sweeping his javelin at the swarm (Javelin: 6+3=9) but the spiders skittered around it, continuing the weave through the threads of the web as they darted down to the ground and approached me. Several lunged in my direction (Bite: 18+3=21; damage: 2+2+4+1=9) and I felt their sharp teeth bite through my clothes and find the inches of bare skin. I snarled, pushing back and threw my whole body against the wall over and over again. (Unarmed: 11+4=15; Unarmed: 10+4=14; Flurry of Blows: 14+4=18; damage: 3+2=5; 1+2=3; 4+2=6; total=14)
Dozens of spiders splattered against my clothing and left their entrails and furry legs against the rough-hewn wall. The rest dropped near my feet, rearing back at me as if ready to pounce again. At the same time, Cambrin and Ceylas hit out at them. Cambrin swung down with his javelin (Javelin: 14+3=17; damage: 4+1=5) and Ceylas blast them with her magic (Eldritch Blast: 15+5=20; damage: 9+3=12). What was left of the swarm smooshed into a pile of ash and gore.
“Okay,” I said, panting with exertion, “so maybe exploring little holes in the wall isn’t the smartest move.” I wiped some of the spider guts off me and winced at the dozens of small wounds up and down my arms and legs.
Beside me, Ceylas was shivering. Her teeth clenched her lip. I reached a hand out to rest on her shoulder and I felt her flinch.
“You okay?” I asked.
She glanced at me. Her eyes big. She shook her head.
Cambrin looked at us both. “We should take a rest,” he said. “I’ll check the room is clear and if there’s nothing more in there we’ll hole up for a bit and see if we can get you two patched up some.”
I nodded, pulling Ceylas under my arm. I looped the chain of my amulet over her head. “You can use this more than me, today.”
She lifted a shaking hand to feel the grooves of the wooden leaf. Her nose crinkled as she smelt the stale alcohol. “What is it?” she asked.
“Something I got from the magic shop. I’ll give you a pint of mead when we rest and it’ll help you heal.”
Cambrin returned a short time later (Investigation: 17+4=21). “There are no other creatures,” he told us, leading us inside. “I did find a few things.”
I drew the door closed behind us and we settled down against it to rest. Cambrin laid out the small sack he’d found. “Where was that?” I asked.
“Tucked into some of the webbing in the far corner,” he said, pointing to the rear right corner of the room.
Ceylas eyed the place warily. “Are you sure there’s no more spiders?”
“I am certain, Ceylas. Rest, recover.”
She nodded, leaning back against the door. Her head rested slightly on my shoulder. Cambrin pulled his banker’s box from his bag and set to exchanging the coin from the sack.
I drew my own haversack and poured Ceylas a tankard of mead. “Sip it slowly,” I said, as I set about cleaning my own wounds as well as hers (Hit dice: 6+2=8). I put a bandage over the large bite she’d taken from the spider.
Ceylas continued to finger the amulet as she drank from the tankard (Amulet of the Drunkard: 3+4+1+2=10). She sighed as her wounds began to ease (Hit dice: 5+3=8). And eventually, tankard empty, she dozed off for a short while, head still resting on my arm.
I glanced across to Cambrin, he was frowning at his sister. “She got pretty hurt in that,” I said, worried for us all again. The big spider had been scary, but it was amazing how much harm the swarm of little ones had also been able to do. They’d been hard to kill too because there were just so many of them. “Do you really think we have any chance at all against that alligator?”
“I am no longer sure we should seek out every potential threat in the sewer before we face it. We came upon these spiders unprepared.”
I chuckled but there was very little humour in my voice. “Ambushed by bugs. Kind of embarressing actually.”
He gave me a grim smile. “We will have to be more careful.”
I nodded, then settled back to rest a little longer. I placed my hands on my knees, and let myself drift into a meditation, seeking to refill the core of my energy and strength. I could heard Cambrin tucking coin away into Ceylas’s pouch. She didn’t stir, and nor did I. Both too tired to bother and knowing we’d need to be back on our feet soon enough.