Butterfingers....and new factions

Raifer had some work to do and set out to research all he could about Wemics. He called on John Z and every Ranger in his camp to decide how to approach this new faction in the area. They brought up food preferences, usual behaviour and colony structure. But what they didn't expect was the turnaround in behaviour from Books. He approached Raifer and offered him advice based on the influence the medallion had imposed on him. Books acknowledged that he had been affected by the item but went further and gave insight in to the feeling he got from the new creature. Raifer took all this in...along with a few grains of salt. Raifer had food prepared and wagons loaded. They would leave for the summit the next day. Before leaving he dispatched a runner back to Al-Alin to brief the King of all he had learned and what his current plan of action was. Books also sent along some information with the runner. He had gathered a few items during their last trip that he wanted to have sold and the profits split among the team along with the mithril they had taken.

The carts were loaded up and off they went. It didn't take long for them to see trouble as the bright, sunny and clear day changed quickly to a dark overcast blanket of low lying clouds making the day seem more like twilight time. No more than 2 hours out of camp several of the rangers spotted tracks that resembled giant spider marks. They pressed on but not long after that Warrex began to sense danger. Raifer sent him ahead on foot with some of the team to scout just above the rise ahead of them but they never made it to the rise before the scout team was ambushed by Trap Door Spiders.

The battle erupted quickly as the 5 scouts were set upon. They were big and fast as Marci was their first victim, bitten, falling to the ground paralyzed. Others were bitten as well but they managed to withstand the toxin. Marci was not so fortunate and she was dragged in to the creatures pit out of sight. The only person to see the event transpire was Indigo, but he was too far away to provide immediate help. He ran to her aid along with the remainder of the party that rushed to assist those under attack.

Then the real surprise happened. Books darted off the cart and headed in to the battle. But instead of attacking the spiders, he went for Raifer, tackling him in a perfect maneuver. What Books did not know was that he just jumped in to Raifer's specialty, Hand to Hand. They began to trade shots but it wasn't long before Raifer knocked out the halfling. And at this time, the remainder of the group had moved past him to engage the enemy leaving nobody to see what happened next. Suspicious of Books based on his behaviour and the medallion, this attack sealed his decision. Raifer took the opportunity to break Books' neck, killing him.

As the party moved in to attack the spiders, a new surprise awaited them as a hail of arrows came flying in from over the rise, striking several in the group. They now had two fronts to battle. Warrex quickly dispatched his spider and moved to aid in the search for the hole that Marci had been dragged down. Seladon cast an Entangle to tie up one of the creatures. The battle was going well with the spiders as they were able to hold off the creatures and their poison. It was fortunate that no one else fell victim to their poison. Because as they finished off the last of the spiders, 4 drow warriors came over the rise, ready for battle. Indigo moved first with an Aganaver's Scorcher on one of the Drow but Magenta was taking heavy damage from her foe. Justin received a blow that knocked him unconscious.

Garan and Warrex had finally found the way to open the spider hole and Garan jumped in to help Marci, who he found in the clutches of the spider being wound in to a web. He moved in to attack. The spider did not take to this and began attacking back, but dwarves are much heartier than most when it comes to withstanding poison. What he didn't know was that a rash of butterfingers was about to happen all around the battle field. After a couple of traded attacks, Garan dropped his weapon. Which he would do again after picking it up and attepting to attack. But fortunately Seladon was behind him tossing darts (some of which he dropped), casting a Faerie Fire on it and soon it was dead. Garan quickly moved to cast a Neutrlize Poison on Marci and she was revived.

Next to drop weapons were Indigo, Ruurik and Raifer, who had joined the main battle. But the party was not the only group affected by this pattern. The drow warriors had their own case of the dropsies and 2 of them soon found their weapons on the ground. Indigo went back to the old stand by, Magic Missile. Snow fired her bow at all the drow that moved and Warrex went in to his battle frenzy, dropping one of the drow.

Having been watching for rear attacks, Parker turned to see that Books was down. She raced on her horse to aid the fallen halfling, not knowing how he had gone down. Raifer spotted her moving up and shouted for her to help Magenta instead, who had taken several serious blows in the battle. But Parker, headstrong as always, ignored the direct order from Raifer and healed the halfling. And then another totally unexpected event happened. Moving from enemy to enemy, Raifer made his move to take his opponent down in to hand to hand. But this time fate was against him. The first blow by Raifer was only a glancing shot and the Drow struck back. The punch caught Raifer at an odd angle, his head flew back and his neck snapped. He dropped limp in the pile, dead. Warrex continued to hack away at the drow in the pile, which was now comprised of the Drow, Ruurik and a dead Raifer, and finally killed the enemy. The last of the drow had now been destroyed.

Now, having been revived, Books arose to see that Raifer was down. He raced to his side and cast healing spells on the outpost commander and was able to restore life to the leader. Yet another twist no one could anticipate.

The battle over, the bodies and spider holes were searched. Only minor items were found except for 4 black coins that appeared to have been made from the ore that was mined from the mountains by the Xvarts when they were prisoners of the Githyanki. As a following patrol from the camp arrived, Raifer gave them 3 of the coins and the bag with the medallion that Books had been under the influence of. They were given orders to take these items back to the camp and then on to Al-Alin for research. They believed they could split Books from the amulet now because he felt no influence of the item and his mind was now clear. He told Raifer all he could about the impact the item had on him and they made the attempt to split them up. And it worked this time.

The party then attempted to heal themsleves as best they could and then moved on. They made quick time, trying to keep their appointment with the Wemic. They arrived at the camp site on schedule and made camp for the night, but they were being watched. Warrex felt the eyes upon them and Books snuck out around out of the camp fire light to spot at least one creature eyeing them. It appeared to be a drow, but he could not be sure. They set their watches and bedded down for the night. In the morning they entered the forrest and made for the clearing.

It wasn't long before they met a guardian Wemic that was there to guide them in. They followed and arrived at the site with their offering of food. After a few hours, the giant creature arrived and talks commenced. He introduced himself as Reaume, leader of the pack and that this was his home. He made no excuse for having eaten the patrol members, offering only that he had found them dead and had not done the killing. They discussed the area and the enemies that surrounded them. The Drow had been killing his offspring and he wanted no part of them, only to live in peace in his forrest realm. He knew of the approximate area that the Drow came out of the mountains, but could not be specific. The area was his and no one should enter without his permission or they would be dealy with severely.

The talks went on for some time and an agreement was reached. They were not enemies, but for the time they were not allies either. A word of agreement between Raifer and Reaume was reached where the outpost personnel would avoid his area and they would provide aid to him if needed. The Wemic agreed to the beginning of a friendly relationship. Raifer sent word to his scouts and a location was established in the forrest that could be used as an embassy like place. In this place they could safely enter and exchange whatever was needed. It was a start and one that Raifer was glad to have rather than another enemy.

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