Chapter 12: The Memory Web

[Inferno]

Chapter 12: The Memory Web

The Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Dusk. April 11th, 912 CY








Days after overthrowing the secret overlords of the City of the Sleestaks, the adventurers emerge from a network of caverns into a withered forest at dusk.

The air is misty and cold. All is quiet.

Before they can find their bearings, they notice 60 feet away, several unmoving figures enmeshed in a great pale spider-web adorning the barren trees!




Actions?!





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 51/51
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Where is the spider?"

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo drops back into his usual foul mood as easily as slipping on a set of mad-max-esque black spray-painted half shoulder pads.

“Great. A new way to die,” he says, scanning the trees for signs of giant spiders or bloodthirsty silk-worms.

[ravenn4544]

“Great. A new way to die,” he says, scanning the trees for signs of giant spiders or bloodthirsty silk-worms.

Ko-nan flexes his muscles and shows Fiefo his axe, "Or another victim to fall prey to my blade!"

[SilverBen]

Alarmed by the sudden disturbance, Finver reponds, "Eyes up everyone!" while scanning the trees for movement or hiding creatures, "...surface spiders are good at two things back home in Karstland: stealth and cunning traps!"

He draws his two handed war hammer and takes a wide, level grip on its haft, sacrificing power for speed if an attack is needed.

How high are the victims from the ground level?

[jemmus]

Mungo munches on some Altrusian rations. The dried spicy noodles are pretty good but the smoked blind cave fish is not much to his taste. "By Verne and Wells, those Altrusians must really like garlic!" he thinks. And there's a lot of something unidentifiable that tastes like... some kind of cross between a toad and a multi-headed hydra?

He wisely or unwisely ditches the one boot and broken pair of scissors he found in Sleestak/Altrusian land. Anybody want these? Then adjusts his thick goggles, readies his forge hammer, and looks around for any spiders. The small ones are tasty, but the big ones are vicious, dangerous, and hard to harvest.

[Rex]

Draupadi

"No thanks Mungo." She scans the area for any signs of whatever did this.

Can she tell how long the corpses have been there.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Guh! Don't like spiders- too many legs.

Maskelyn grips his staff in a combat stance and looks around, hoping to see them before they see us.

[redwarrior]

Connack readies his bow and he carefully scans all around for any targets. at least it's not those acid spewing things.... I hope.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn half-playfully smacks Connak on the shoulder. Hsst! Don't give The Bugs any ideas, Doc.

[Inferno]

The Withered Forest, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Dusk. April 11th, 912 CY








At the blood-curdling sight, wary fingers grip their weapons.

Alert eyes scan all around for immense spiders... or worse.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, the gigantic web releases its lifeless prey and launches itself directly at the adventurers!




Actions?!





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 51/51
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[SilverBen]

Anticipating some clever trap but fearing it is too late to escape, Finver bellows a warning to his fellows, "Scatter!" and tries to run from the approaching snare.

I realize it may be inevitable we get caught by the web, but I must at least ask this question: is any initiative roll possible on our part to avoid becoming entangled?

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi attempts to leap clear of the web so she isn't caught. Yelling, "Trap!"

[jemmus]

Mungo grunts and tries to get to side and away from the flying web as quickly as his short hindlegs can carry him.

[redwarrior]

Connak will try to spring out from under the net/web.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan also dodges whatever foulness is being vomited out of the webs. His axe is ready to cleave a skull!

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn hesitates just a moment before he dives for the dirt. Yikes! And Yikes! again!

[ChubbyPixie]

"Well, that is NOT what I was expecting..." thinks Fiefo, absently as he springs into fighter mode, jumping forward with his fork extended to full length, trying to intercept the thing's leap by striking it in the center to perform a stopping counterattack and hold it away from the group, as much as possible...

Attack with Fauchard Fork (THAC0 17): To Hit: [1d20+1]=5+1=6 Damage vs. s/M: [1d8]=1, vs. L: [1d10]=10

Predictably, the cursed fork passes harmlessly through the netting...

This result was inevitable.

[Inferno]

The Withered Forest, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Dusk. April 11th, 912 CY








Before the heroes can react, the gigantic web is upon them!

All the adventurers are engulfed in its vast, sentient strands except Draupadi and Ko-Nan who lunge back in the nick of time!

Fiefo's weapon thrust is fouled as he and the other trapped heroes are smothered and constrained in the sticky, iron grip of the clinging chrysalis! And then suddenly, horribly, it begins to devour their memories!

Connak forgets his litter mates!

Fiefo forgets his dead friends, Adrock, Garamond, Jeojand and Tullia!

Finver forgets Enath and his family!

Maskelyn forgets about the existence of Xygax the Wizard!

Mungo forgets the sacred teachings of Verne and Wells!

(And each loses two points of Intelligence!)

Actions?!


Behind the DM Screen:

Are PCs surprised? (1-2): [1d6]=2 Yes.
Web charges Connak, Draupadi, Fiefo, Finver, Ko-Nan, Maskelyn and Mungo. To hit: [1d20+2]=12+2=14, [1d20+2]=2+2=4, [1d20+2]=19+2=21, [1d20+2]=15+2=17, [1d20+2]=6+2=8, [1d20+2]=12+2=14, [1d20+2]=20+2=22 All are hit except Draupadi and Ko-Nan.

INT loss: [1d3]=2

The ensnared PCs' actions to move away are rendered moot. And Fiefo misses.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24, -2 INT
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29, -2 INT
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/35, -2 INT
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 51/51
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, -2 INT
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, -2 INT

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn fumbles for his dagger, hoping to cut himself free. He feels a strange foggy sensation in his mind- he's fully aware of his surroundings, but can't seem to connect one moment to the next.