Duty Session 130: Spinner's Deep

After the efforts of many Adventurers to finally clear out the creatures from within the mines on the Isle of Beginnings, the Landers are finally able to return to their work. However, the first miners have reported an unusual room within the first levels of the mine.

The room seems to be the source of the previous infestation, but now shows a strange glowing arcane circle that refuses to allow them to pass. The Landers have reached out to the Hunter's Guild, seeking capable Adventurers to find out what lies beyond this strange device.

What is certain, is that the spiders in the mines now known as Spinner's End, had to have come from somewhere. Danger lies on the unknown path ahead. Are you brave enough to face it?

Difficulty:    Moderate
Rec. Party:    3+
Rewards:       2
World Rewards: None

Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0


    The mines are alive again. With the spider infestation cleared out, the Landers have returned to work and spruced the place up a bit. Now clean and well lit, the tunnels have new supports shoring up the walls and ceilings, and everything is all well and good. For the most part.
    It looks like there's still a Hunter's Guild quest in place regarding looking into the deeper parts of the mines, but at least with the spiders having been handled already the pathway is pretty straightforward into the deeper part of the mines.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek takes time to put on the dark attire he often wears, while he pulls the scarf along his features. The man seems a bit tired, a few of the debuffs for that on him. Still, he's well leveled when compared to a lot of people, and nods a little bit to the party.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba recalls there being areas that were blocked off by level caps before so she is here to explore! She does give a concerned look towards Merek though. Don't doze off on us.
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade is here on the follow-on quest, following the group. She follows along warily as she looks left and right. "Ah, so this is it," she says. "The last time we did the previous quest, they said this was opening up."
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen had recalled the gated content that was here, at the end of every previous run she'd done here. Gwen was eager to see what was further in.

"Th drider mage concerned ma a lot, we are likely marching into some kind of spider cult I'll bet." She seems ready to go and looks to Shiruba for a moment. "Something wrong Shiruba? Aye Goldenblade it's time to find out what's further down." She'll take a look at Akatsuki for a moment. "I'm ready if you are."
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    That's the thing. Akatsuki wasn't there a second ago.
    And then, with no warning, the group has an Assassin among them.
    "I'm ready." The girl casually responds, briefly checking the kodachi sheathed behind her hip as she falls into step with everyone else.

    AKATSUKI has requested to join your party!

    With that out of the way though, the party reaches what used to be the boss room. The walls here are... Different from the rest of the mines, the hew and cut is a lot more fine, and there are patterns and runes etched into place, along with a large mural that details many different spider creatures.
    At the center of the room is a raised dais on which a circular platform rests, with runes carved along the edges of the circle. Though they dont seem to be in any known language, the runes do appear around the room in various points.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek puts on the spectacles which he keeps with him, then begins looking at the mural, to the many runes while he takes the time to consider. "Ah, this pattern," the man notes, then begins to assist in drawing them into understanding.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba nods as she's watching Merek start. "It looks almost like a combination lock of runes, to ensure people of appropriate capability and level can activate it."
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade joins the party! "Hey," she says to Akatsuki, and peers at the center of the chamber. She thinks a moment, then shrugs. "I've got no idea," she admits as she looks around. She looks at the runes that appear at various places, shrugs, and says, "I don't get any of this."

She just stares kind of blankly, as things around her happen. "Glad you guys have this worked out," she says, feeling a bit bad that she's not helping. "Uh, if there's anything I can do?" ... But kind of, there isn't. Her voice is not melodious enough to make anytning happen.
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen seemed to be ready for at least what was to come, she recalled the strange patterns the last time she was here. She would look to Akatsuki for a momen and will start to channel some holy magic as she goes to try and work this place. "Let's see if I got this right..."
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    It's a little bit of work, but with the combined efforts of the party it looks like the device activates, surrounding the group in a blue glow before depositing them in a new, dark, chamber; lit only by a few guttering torches in old sconces, encased in old webbing.
    Further on in the tunnel continues until it stops at what looks like a dead end, a statue resting at the end of the hall, and it is a strange one; though most of it is hidden in robes it appears humanoid in nature, but with an array of gleaming eyes, pincer-like teeth, and hideous plating.
    And it's pointing at the altar right across from it as though expecting some kind of sacrifice before the party can continue.
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade hrms, grumbles as we find ourselves someplace else. "Did something ... eh, what's going on?" She looks around, but teleporting is not something she's used to, and she's a bit unsettled. She'll follow Gwen, who seems to know how some of this business works, and peers at the creepy statue. "Ugh, so, not the Venus deMilo."

When it becomes apparent that some sort of sacrifice is needed, she'll look around for anything valuable. She's broke, herself, but maybe something valuable will be found if she mines around. To that end, she stomps on the ground hard enough to crack the earth a bit, and will go fishing around for any sort of valuable ore. She'll offer up a couple of the shiny rocks she finds, and some of the coins from her inventory, but it's not looking positive, what she comes up with.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek looks around when the teleportation area activates. Then he takes a look around in the next place, while he would begin to adjust his spectacles, "Alright, let's see what we can do. Ah, it looks like... Herbology, I think I would be able to present the thing." He then makes a mix of incense, which he places along upon the front of that altar.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba ahas. "Alters are for sacrifice soooo..." She pulls out a large chunk of boar meat from her inventory and deposits it on the hand. "Good thing I keep hunting to help feed all these obsessed crafting mood people."
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen it doesn't take Gwen long to catch on to wo what's neede she's going to find something offer up here. However she has no luck finding anything of worth to offer up and seem a bit frustated on this. "Give me a rifle and an afternoon and I'll show you some real hunting." She'd also slipped into a strange drawl there for a second too as she mutters that.
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0


    Incense is burned, meat is set upon the altar and-- where did that Assassin go?
    It's a few beats before Akatsuki re-emerges with the group, sheathing her kodachi at her hip once again as she holds up a rough gem that looks like it was freshly pulled from the rock wall.
    It seems that this is enough of an offering, a new path opens up, leading deeper into the mines. Ominously large and long scrape marks adorn the walls as though something had dragged itself through this way not too long ago, but eventually the path leads into a smaller chamber, used as a break point for other adventurers exploring the dungeon.
    One such adventurer is here now, pale and sickly, resting his head agaist the wall, armor and weapons laid at his side.
    "... Oh, I was hoping someone would come along." He says with a cough. "My party was killed by the spiders. I've been bitten." He says, grimacing in pain.
    "Our healer had the antidote potions, do you think you could lend a stranger a hand?" He asks, eyes full of pain and pleading.
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade acks at the sight of the injured person. She'll rush over and try to help, but apparently only magic and magic potions can help people. This is one of the weird oversights she's found in this game. A bit of cloth and direct pressure does nothing to help the injured person, which is all GB knows about helping people with injuries. She looks to the others, then backs off with a shrug.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek looks along to Adventurers while he nods, then does the best he can with what magic he keeps with him, then begins to work healing with magic along which would protect them from the wounds as well.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba checks her inventory at the question ... and slaps a palm to her face. "Dammit I forgot to grab any on my way here."
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen has not handled posion like this before, while she has experiance? She's never done something quite liek this as she does her best to help tend to the guy's wound she will inspect to see he's and Adventurer or not though. Please god don't let him be a lander...
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Try as the group might, the adventurer succumbs to the poison, quietly slipping away before being reduced to red pixels.
    "He'll respawn at the church." Akatsuki does note, before it's time to move on.
    Soon enough the ground grows thick with spider webs the further the group makes it into the depths, reaching a set of spiral stairs that head downwards to what appears to be an underground jungle. Strange glowing plants, pools of dark sludg and mire, and worse... Spiders.
    Huge spiders; each the size of a human move amid the trees, some stopping to drink from the noxious pools, these spiders are also aglow with an eerie light, and eventually... They all turn, noticing the very out of place group of adventurers in their midst.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek would look to the Adventurer when he shimmers away. The man seems to think about it, then nods to Akatsuki. When the party would next come upon the spiders, he then adjusts the spectacles, "... You know, I can at least manage these for him," then he would begin repaying that adventurer while he takes a moment to swing into the enemies, "Ragnarok's Wisdom!"
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba bangs her head on the wall a few times. "Sloppy irresponsible letting my excitement at a new dungeon get the better--" She realizes the group is moving on "--Wait for me!"

Fortunately a giant underground jungle is more her style. "Yeah no you eight legged creeps can just stay put!" She starts shooting some of her trademark ice arrows at spiders to freeze them in place and make plants easily crumble out of their way."
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade looks around at the place we find ourselves in, and she says, "We should definitely have scouted this out ahead. Maybe we could have had an idea of the sorts of challenges there'd be. The previous dungeon was not nearly this difficult for me." She will follow Gwen and try to help her out, and is actually helping a bit, it seems. She doesn't quite gets what's going on, but she can follow along and at least she can see a way to help.
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen grimaces "We'll have to find him later." She frowns at this. She also makes note of a post she'll have to make to her guild, no her alliance about this hazard. She'll press onwars to thje jungle an she'll take to using water maggic to try and keep things away from her and the party.
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    It's a tiresome slog through the underground jungle as the party fends off giant spiders and presses on, evading toxic pools and venemous fangs while battling the massive arachnid foes.
    Eventually the decor only grows more strange and eerie, the walls glow green, droplets of acid drip from the ceiling, and a hidden door opens as the group approaches, leading into yet another boss chamber much like the one the group had entered from. But this one is aglow, the etchings on the walls alive with that sickly green color, and in the center of the chamber is a gigantic spider with a humanoid torso, with glowing red eyes burning behind the visor of its helmet as it prepares to attack the approaching team!
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade follows Akatsuki and the others along through the muck and yuck, wondering what other strange things this dungeon can throw at us. She actually seems relieved at the sight of the giant spider-man boss when we finally spot him. "This is more my skillset," she opines, and heedless of the danger, or .. well, throwing caution to the wind anyhow, she will rush at him and start rolling through her attack combinations from the top down. It's getting every one she can squeeze out, hammering at him with blows that hit like a brick to the face, though of course it's different for monsters.
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek looks to that spider warrior with a nod along to the party, "I will weaken him so you all can fight," he notes, then he would begin calling upon the ambient dark shadow within the place to coalesce within the target's mind, beginning to keep the enemy from focusing upon the people.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

"Yeah, I have no objection to deforesting -this- jungle with fire," Shiruba mutters as the party makes their way through. "Every step in it feels... unnatural. This is not what a wilderness is suppose to be. At least not on this plane."

The harrowing trek leaves frozen and fried spiders in their wake, an a chamber like before, but creepier ahead of them. "Anyone else getting a bit of deja vu? Other than being more glowy and toxic it looks similar." Nope. There's the boss. A big boss. "Goddesses above, how big do these things get?!"

But it's wearing armor. To the wolven huntress it doesn't matter if its worn or natural, metal or organic. Armor has seams and joints. Shiruba leaves the front line to the Tank and Meleers, which Gwen should be prepared for with how often they've gone dungeon delving together. "If you can't break armor, aim for crippling its limbs!" Even as she's drawing her bow ready. "ARCANE SIGHT!"

A glyph of The Third Eye flickers at her forehead, while in her own vision the flow of magic highlights the seams in the massive drider's armor. Again and again she fires, sinking arrows into those small gaps with shocking precision, even while moving so she stays behind Gwen's defensive position.
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen is doing all right she's rather all pleased with the group over all. She will take note of the big hulling boss chamber with a big hulking boss. She will have to thank Merek later for his burning of a large portion of the jungle in their way in. She will target the boss now and she will race in. A Green light blows off of Gwen's body as she tags her allies with the ability.

"ANCHOR HOWL!"

She calls out as she then engages the spider!
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0


    Just like that the battle is heated. Gwen takes to the fore, activating her special skill and drawing the aggro of the giant spider beast. Goldenblade darts in, deadly and graceful, while Merek assaults the spider's very mind, and Shiruba aims for the gaps in that chitinous armor, while Akatsuki darts in and adds to the group's DPS.
    Little by little the party inches the beast's health bar down until it decides it has had enough and leaps backwards, hitting the wall hard enough to bring the roof down.
    When the dust clears, though, and the spider is reduced to red pixels, a new path is revealed-- one that can't be traversed just yet. But mort importantly so too appears a treasure chest where the giant spider warrior was.
    Because what dungeon trip isn't rewarded with treasure?
Merek
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

    Merek would begin to collect that dungeon award, while he nods a bit to the shielding of light, "Well of course, I figured it'd be like that," he begins noting, then he offers a wave along to the party, "I need a nap."
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade looks at the impassable end to the next dungeon, then at the spider plate in her inventory. "Well, this is another interesting drop. I'm going to have to have a rummage sale soon, if I collect much more stuff." Though in inventory, it doesn't seem to load her down no matter how much she collects. She looks to the others, then again at the next part. "If it was as hard as this, I think I might skip the next one. Or at least maybe see how others think after they scout it around."
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

"You better run!" Shiruba shouts as the creature leaps away and blocks off its exit in doing so. "We'll just hunt you down farther in the dungeon!"

Then she notices the level cap on this new portion, and amends. "... Eventually..."

Oh well, still loot! Shiruba pulls a piece of organic metal shell from the treasure chest, huhing softly. "It's like a more advanced version of the previous carapieces."
Gwen
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Gwen will settle down once the battle is done, it was a fairly hard one, all things considered when you get down to it but no one goes down the Spider is taken out. Shew'll move to scoop up her loot and then she'll pause as she notess a barrier of light. "Oh Come on /again/ this goes even deeper?!" Gwen actually head desks against the barrier once.
Shiruba
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Shiruba gives Gwen a pat on the... well, arm, she's not tall enough to reach a shoulder. "Hey, look at the bright side! We know our tank and snipe combo still works on bosses!"
Akatsuki
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0


    "Apparently it goes deeper." Akatsuki points out as she sheathes her kodachi. Not that anyone can go that way just yet. But it looks like that's the end of things. For now anyway; so the Assassin turns about and starts heading for the exit.
    "Farewell for now."
Goldenblade
Overworld - 1 - 2 - 0

Goldenblade nods to Akatsuki, though she wonders, "Not coming back with us? You saw something you wanted to check out?" She's nosy and totally doesn't understand how the games work, or she probably wouldn't ask. But she's mostly curious about interesting things. She pats Gwen on the shoulder, she's tall enough for that, though no giant, and smirks, nodding at what Shiruba says. "We did well there, at the end."