While everyone is discussing and introducing themselves, Rathyl explains a little about himself.

He is paired with a two handed sword of bone, armor of studded leather, little in the way of provisions or ranged weaponry, as hunting can be done while in another form more suited to the task and easily provide a meal. Extra equipment just makes it harder to shift form. He says he is bonded with 7 animals.

Being only half elf raised among purebloods, Rathyl was teased and many laughed at his expense growing up. had many a laugh among young elves made at his expense.  Instead of turning to a hatred of the elvenkind, Rathyl wanted more than anything to BE fully an elf. He encountered an old human who offered him a vial to become what he wanted. He was given the power to transform, and the first thing he chose was a full blooded elf. Over time, he developed the ability to change into 6 other animals. All his insecurity goes away when he transforms, and he has spent much of his time until becoming an adult as a transformed animal, shunning society until very recently. Now, he is coming to terms with his true self and trying to accept himself.

The old man approached him again years later and offered him another vial. Rathyl opened it but found himself pulled into the vial. Time has no meaning in the vial, and when he realized how to escape, he found himself many decades in the future. Now the earth has changed and become much more dangerous with the Angry Earth. He proceeds cautiously now, a stranger in a strange land.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:35, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

Zaron listens closely. "Yes," he responds after Rathyl speaks, "your backgrounds are part of why you were chosen by the prophecy, I believe. You each must have a special part to play in what is to unfold."

He then starts addressing the questions: "I am not sure if the phase spiders can actually go unconscious. You will likely have to collect them by hand and put them in the barrel to prevent them going ethereal. I do not specifically have any need for older phase spider parts for any ingredients. I suppose you could take them and keep them for later. I do hope that we can avoid the big ones and just take the hatchlings."

To Sariel, he says: "We will use my cart to get us as close to the cave as possible. Then we will need to roll or carry the barrel inside the cave and put the caught hatchlings inside. As far as getting back, it really depends on catching enough hatchlings. If we can collect at least six of them, I should be able to portal us back through--three each way. If we can collect more than that, even better. I believe the barrel will hold up to 12 or so hatchlings--maybe more. I do not read Ancient Allevian very well myself. We need the two gnome brothers, Sark and Jark, to help us with any further translations. But I do believe my master's interpretation of the Xren Codex was accurate."

Then to Rathyl, he says, "I need three additional ingredients. One is the hatchlings of the phase spiders. The second is a fist-sized gem buried with an ancient dwarven king named Rocklayer. I have received permission," and he taps the side pocket of his jerkin, "from the dwarven council to go to the tomb and retrieve the gem. But even the dwarves have not been there in decades because the dwarven king is a despised and evil despot. His place of honor in the tomb is merely as respect for his position as a king. And the third ingredient is...well, how do I put it lightly...an eye of a beholder."

He starts reaching into his pocket as he says, "I know where the phase spider cave is to the northeast, and then after we return here, we can go south to the dwarven king's tomb. It is a full day's journey, so we will not return here immediately after. I know there is a beholder lair somewhere to the south of here but not its exact location. That is where this will help out."

He withdraws from his pocket a small, clear gem like a spherical diamond about the size of a marble. It is attached to a wire frame that he then hooks around his ears. It sits in front of his eye like a monocle.

"This is a gem of true seeing, called the 'Eye of the World.' It will help show us the way when we need it. It can also unlock translation abilities and has other powers that we are still struggling to uncover. At the tomb of the dwarven King Rocklayer, there should be a carved stone with a coded map to the beholder's lair. The Eye of the World should help me decode the map."

He takes a deep breath, and then a swig from a wineskin. "That is a lot of talking from me. Any more questions? We should leave first thing in the morning. I've secured rooms for you at the inn at the edge of town so we can leave immediately after the Angry Earth manifests."

"How much does the barrel weight? And what, roughly, would you say a phase spider, of the size you need, weighs?" asks Renakaris, thinking of Tenser's Floating Disc spell. "Would you know if they can be affected by a Sleep spell? Or a Hold Monster spell? If so, or if you're uncertain, is it possible for me to learn Sleep and Hold Monster before we leave?"
After listening to any reply the drow continues, "With respect to reading Ancient Allevian, I know the Comprehend Languages spell, so if you wish I could check a few pages for you. It would let me read the words but nott necessarily understand the contextural content. I could teach you that spell if you wish."

======
OOC: Changed speech colour as Rathyl uses blue.

"I don't think I could learn a spell..." Sariel mussed. "But, since we have to wait until dawn, why not try to know each other a little better? Do you want me to draw your horoscope?" She talked in a very outgoing and easygoing way. "I suppose we need subtlety and silence to grab the baby spiders. But I'm a bit more concerned about facing the Beholder. It isn't a small feat."

In reply to Sariel Sylvaranth (msg # 11):

"Let's deal with first things first, Sariel. Ummm I've more experience with cavern roofs than starlit skies, but if you think a horoscope will help in some way then fine, we can try that. Anyway, I'd be pleased to get to know you better," responds the drow pleasantly. "But I'd be really, really interested in learning  Hold Monster! Or Sleep!" she adds, looking at Zaron questioningly.


***
If Zaron disappears to look for something such as a spell book or scroll then Renakaris converses further, "Well, Sariel, I'm Renakaris. I'm a refugee from the Underdark, which might be called something else around here. I'm a bladesinger, which means I have some skill with both blade and arcane spell. I think you're pleasant, charming, obviously pretty and I'm pleased to meet you. Now, tell me of you, please?"

======
OOC: @GM - How do you treat things like the darkness produced by the spell "Darkness 15'r"?
e.g. Would Drow magic resistanc make it 'not exist' for just the drow?
And how about beholder's anti-magic ray?
Thanks!
This message was last edited by the player at 20:30, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

Rathyl expands on his self-description. "I am a ranger by trade, sticking to the forests by day and in rocks and caves at night to avoid the Angry Earth. This was given to me as a gift from the elven lord who raised me." He shows his two handed sword. It is made of bone and is finely etched and polished, clearly magical. "This is boneclaw, hewn from the bones of a giant. Giants are my sworn enemies. I know a couple of cleric spells, but nothing that would probably help us much. No healing or anything. I'm good at tracking and good with animals. Like I mentioned, I'm also good in a fight when I need to be."

The ranger does appear well suited to battle, with some scars on his arms and neck. His disposition is very quiet normally, and his long issues with not fitting in with either elves or humans have made him reluctant to become too involved. His soft demeanor is belied by a tenseness of his muscles. He clearly would be more at home in the wilderness than here.

In reply to Rathyl Dragonbone (msg # 13):

"Well, Rathyl, welcome. Not that that's up to me, of course," says Renakaris with a look in Zaron's direction. "That's a useful skill set to be sure, certainly for where we're headed by the sounds of it. It would have been useful to have magical healing as a resource, but it is what it is."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:43, Thu 07 Oct 2021.

Zaron says, "That is a good point. Luckily for you, I do have some healing potions. Each vial has three quaffs. I have five vials."

The barrel itself is the weight of a typical wood barrel with iron bands around it. It can be rolled or carried by Strength 14+ by using both hands, or by other means as you see fit. Zaron says you will only need to take it into the cave, so it should not be overly taxing. The rest of the way, it will be on his horse-drawn cart.

When you indicate, I will advance the night to the morning to get you on the trip.

"That's good, Zaron. Thanks," replies Renakaris accepting a potion or two.

======
Unless learning 1.Sleep or 4.Hold Monster is on the cards, then good to skip to the trip.

Food and water might be a problem unless we can stock up a bit first.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Sun 19 Sept 2021.

Zaron will have food and water for this trip available. No worries there.

Zaron does not have any cleric spells to provide, as he is a mage specializing in magic item creation--the "Chef." He suspects the spiders would be immune to sleep spells, and possibly immune or resistant to a hold monster spell, though that is not his area of specialty.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:10, Mon 20 Sept 2021.

In reply to DM Heath (msg # 17):

Time to rest.

======
Good here to skip to the morning.

Time: 7:00 a.m.

In the morning, you set out with Zaron leading the way. He picks a safe path through the Angry Earth, helping you avoid its effects. One thing about the Underdark and other places where the sun does not reach is that they do not feel the effects of the Angry Earth, making them surprisingly safer than travel over land.

You reach the mouth of the cave. It is about 10 feet tall, but the first thing you notice is that, long ago, it must have been much larger. A cave in appears to have blocked a very large part of the entrance at the bottom, and it would once have been 30 feet in diameter. But the cave in was long ago, and it is now covered with dirt and grass.

The sky is overcast on this fall morning, and rain may come soon. The sun is obscured by clouds, but the inside of the cave is far darker. There do not appear to be any signs of life or light coming from within.

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Silent as an elf Renakaris moves up to the cave mouth and stops just short of the shadow to look for webs.

If none are to be seen she steps into the shadow, swords in hand, allows her darkvision time to adjust and then scans around and up, moving carefully forwards until something changes.

Rathyl will follow Renakaris in, bone swords at the ready. Rathyl also takes a healing potion, just in case.

While you walk up to inspect the cave, Zaron pushes the barrel out of the wagon. He also says, "I'm glad you mentioned the webbing. I have this to give you." He pulls out a stoppered vial of milky liquid. This has three doses of a substance that will melt away spider webbing. It might come in handy." He hands it to Sariel since Rathyl and Renakaris are walking up toward the entrance.

Then he begins pushing the barrel with Sariel's help and rolling it up to the entrance area. He says, "I will stay back here and be your back up. I will watch the horses and the wagon to protect them from thieves. But if you get into trouble, just holler. I have one more vial of healing potion and one more of the web dissolving liquid, and I can come running in to help. If you find anything beyond what we are here to collect in the barrels, it's yours to keep. I know there have been some who tried to enter the cave before and never made it out. They might have left behind something of value for you.

Rathyl and Renakaris are peering in the cave, scanning it closely, when Sariel and Zaron get the barrel rolled up the hill.

What you see is a long natural cave with some stone stalactites and stalagmites. "Those are perfect for weaving webs between," Zaron explains. "Giant spiders love them."

You do see some webbing on the walls, but not much. You expect the spiders probably don't come near the exit. The cave goes in deep and then starts uphill as it gets deeper into the mountain. From the entrance, it goes steeply down amid rocks and dirt--like a ramp. You realize this is from the cave in many years ago and it used to be a wide open path leading outside.


This message was last edited by the GM at 01:47, Thu 23 Sept 2021.

Before entering the cavern proper, Renakaris hunts around for something like a six foot long willow twig. Something to use to try and detect webbing in a way siliar to how a rat or cat uses whiskers to guage a tunnel's width.

If something similar is found Renakaris will take point, unless anyone else expresses a preferance for doing so.

Rathyl lets Renakaris take point, but his bone sword is drawn and at the ready. He is ready to fight but also remembers the need to capture the small phase spiders. "Maybe you can roll the barrel in after us?" he suggests to Sariel.

Renakaris quietly and carefully advances until something changes.
If there is a branching of the ways with little to choose between them she follows the left hand wall.

While you are making preparations, Zaron follows you to the top of the cave and says, "Let me make sure I have give you all the instructions and information I have before you go in."

He opens the top of the barrel and points in. You see various rune inscribed jade-like stones. "These are wardstones, which disrupt the phase spider hatchlings ethereal jaunt ability. That will prevent them from jumping to the ethereal plane once you have caught them."

He also hands you a jar that has similar stones. "Each stone will affect a 10 foot diameter sphere. If you place them strategically in an area and lure in the hatchlings, you can prevent them from phasing out while you catch them and put them in the barrel. They are not smart, but smart enough to know that if their phasing is not working, they should move. You will only have a limited number of tries before they flee out of the area."

There are 8 stones in the jar.

"I also asked around to get information about the cave. No one knows much, but one rumor was strange enough that it stuck with me. One patron said there is a dragon in this cave that has been woken up by the ethereal jumps. Another said that it was actually just a giant phase spider that looks like a dragon and that it has been in hibernation for a long time. What struck me is that none of them denied that there is...SOMETHING...very big and dangerous in there. So be careful. I hate to admit this, but I have a paralyzing fear of spiders. That's the real reason I'm hesitant to follow you in, but I will do it if you get in trouble."

He hands you the jar (determine who will take it or if you will separate out the wardstones) and then he says, "One thing I've also come to learn about the spiders is that the constant use of blinking causes an ethereal fog, which is not physically dangerous--at least, I don't think so--but it will create visibility issues. Oh, and these spiders like to phase out to the ethereal plane and then phase in right behind you and attack, and they do have poison, so be careful."

In reply to DM Heath (msg # 26):

"It feels things just got more complicated,"responds the drow. "Well, let's try and makes sense of this. Will the fog be there already? And will something like See Invisible be able to penetrate the fog? Or a anything short of True Seeing? Does it extend to the etherial plane as well as here? Any idea on the range of visibility? Do these stones or the barrel effect the fog? Will the spiders, small or large, be able to break the barrel? Can a spider materialize inside a cave wall and attack me from behind if I have my back to the wall." He pauses for breath and for any answers.

"I guess the next thing is method of capture. Should I try to physically knock one out to then put it in the barrel? Or somehow try to use the stones to herd one into the barrel? Or just try to pick one up from its rear?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Thu 07 Oct 2021.

Zaron says, "I would think you could use the wardstones to create an area of effect which will allow you to physically grab the phase spiders and put them in the barrel, which should also be within the area of effect. I do not believe they can phase into material objects like walls. The fog is ethereal in nature. Spells such as Light or See Invisible likely will have no effect on it, and neither will the wardstones or barrel. You could either work with limited sight or draw them out into the open. How you get them in the barrel--whether by just grabbing them or trying to knock them out--is up to you. As hatchlings, though, they are fragile, and you may actually kill them with too much force. Also, they will not technically be 'knocked out,' but might be stunned. With the wardstones in place, you should be able to grab them and try to avoid their bite or perhaps some other method to get them in the barrel."

He says, "The stones themselves do not work unless they are stationary. Holding them and moving them around will not work. Here, let me show you." He pulls out a stone and sets it on the ground. When it is perfectly still, the rune lights up. When he picks it up again, the rune dims again. "The wardstones in the barrel are different because a binding spell has been cast on them by my Master, Azaron."

In reply to DM Heath (msg # 28):

"So how do you want to do this, folks? I'm not the only one here," prompts the elf.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Thu 07 Oct 2021.

Rathyl says, "Let's split the stones into two sets of five. i will hold five and you can hold five. Then we can find a place to put them when we get in there. I think most of the answers probably won't be self evident until we get in there and see for ourselves, so I say let's go in. We can come back here to the entrance if it becomes necessary."

In reply to Rathyl Dragonbone (msg # 30):

"I was thinking of keeping my back to one of the 10' stone-affected areas. Do you want to go first? Do you have any magic for capturing spiders. Or that affects poison?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Thu 07 Oct 2021.

Rathyl says, "No, I have nothing to help with poison, and no immunities to it. I thought a drow might have some resistance. Perhaps only halflings are resistant."