On the last episode, we explored the town of Bell's Run and introduced three inhabitants, a farmer, Whelen Virr, a friend who drew it called Day, and a student from the College of Avarn, Ichabod Pike. We began on the morning of mid-summer's day, or more importantly, the day the merchant comes. Everything in Bell's Run hinges on this annual occurrence and this year. The merchant disappeared and the town is in crisis mode.
Luckily, things can't get much worse. Oops, I shouldn't have said that. Welcome fellow travelers to the Legends of Chell. I am here and I am playing Whelen Virr, the human barbarian.
My name is David, I'm playing Ichabod Pike, he's a human wizard. My name is Theron and I am playing Day, she is a human druid. And I am Hazel, I am a year DM. Ichabod, still just telling your story?
I have an idea. I want to see if I can find the tracks from the wagon around the area that are vanished. Are they clearly in the dirt? They are not clearly in the dirt, but you can try to look a bit closer if you would like to.
You can see the car perception. Yes. 17. So, you are looking through your goggles really closely at the tracks or at the road.
And you know that the car came through here, you heard it, you saw it, you saw the wheels moving, but there aren't any tracks. Do I know for sure if there normally are tracks? As I'm thinking about that, I'm trying to think back up. Do I remember seeing them ever leaving tracks?
I'm going to be following back on its path to see if there are any tracks along the whole route. So, you are tracking back looking for tracks? Give me an earphone to check, I guess. You are thinking back and you don't remember any tracks.
You have never really noted it before. Like, hey, yes, we are doing any tracks. But you don't remember any tracks and you don't remember really if anybody else has talked about that. I probably won't go the whole way.
I'll probably go as far as until I get to that realization. And then I'm going to head back into the center of town. I'll just start asking people, do they want any tracks? It didn't leave any tracks.
Does it normally leave tracks? Does anyone remember that? Okay. Is there a chance I'll hear that?
Yes. Do I remember there being any tracks? Do you? What do you want for a role?
I said our complex. That's a natural. Okay. Yeah, you are familiar with this.
And you know that the car does not normally leave any tracks. This one is the weird things about the car. You are getting lots of different answers. You are getting yes there are tracks and no there are tracks.
But yes there are tracks but only in lines of full moon. All kinds of answers. So you hear him asking about the crowd. And you can respond if you want.
And I don't know if he's going to do any more than anybody else. Well, Ichabod and I both go to the college. And I know I'm a little. And I'm seeing that he's getting a lot of responses so I'm not going to bother.
Okay. Yeah. So actually as this is happening, you see the door to the college open. And it out comes with his name.
It's Swiss. That's it. I was thinking sneer. I knew that was wrong.
Only when I know him. He's looking out. Look out. Here he doesn't see you.
Professor Mervently, the car is going. He's saying goodbye. He's sneezing. And walks up to you.
What were you saying? The cart. He came into town and vanished. No, I was never done that before.
That's why everyone's upset. It's going. There are no tracks even. There are no tracks.
Oh, when's it coming? It's not here yet. It's not here. It did.
It came. It came and disappeared. It didn't even stop to sell any goods. It came and vanished.
Like I said, I saw it happen. What are they doing about it? I've lived here for centuries. Always.
Always come. Always come. Always been here. They got it.
Meaning going on over there. I'm supposed to get my books. He goes over to the parlay. He's like, Hey, how am I supposed to get my books?
Where's the merchant? What'd you do to them? I say like Professor, they're talking YouTube. I can talk to.
I've been here running a manual. That's great. Do you have anything helpful to contribute? I've got some books.
Are they books about the merchant? Uh, well, I don't think so. I can go look. That sounds great.
That sounds great. That sounds great. I'm not eavesdropping. I'm listening.
It's not like I'm hiding behind her pretending that I'm not there. It's a professional courtesy. Yeah. So, Whelen, you're walking back home.
Yeah. So spread the news that the merchant probably isn't going to help us this year. And that we can get some food at least for today because of the festival. We'll need to figure out the rest of the year because I am the entire demand.
So, Ada comes up to you and she's like, Oh, but they was just here. And she said that the drawers, they could help. Yeah. She was also relying on the merchant being here.
I saw her in town too. She told me. She says, unfortunately she doesn't know how much the drawers are going to be able to help. I don't know what the recorders have to march in.
Me neither. But for now, let's get a full belly because of at least it's the festival. They have food in town. Okay.
I'm going to have to wrangle up these kids for their festival anyway. So, I guess I'll start getting everybody together. Day. Do you have anything you want to talk about or do?
So they're saying they wonder the hags or they want to wait a little while or they want to just carry on and do nothing. I'm going to the options and I'm paging through my notes like, well, not everyone. Not everyone is like starving. We might just have to give up some of our independence.
I start showing off my notes to Esther when like these three families are doing exceptionally well, considering. Maybe we just have to convince everyone to share. We might be able to get through the year and I showed like, what's it called? Like you predict how good a crop is going to be?
I can't get the word. I don't know. I show that off on this like one particular week crop and like that could get us through as long as. I mean, ration and tighter belts.
The governor kind of like jerks that look at your hands. Hey. Hmm. Notes.
Oh, I guess maybe I could work. Seems think we're going to be able to store up enough for winter. It depends on a lot of factors, but that's what I see as our hope right now. I'm not sure we can risk it.
Sometimes taking consideration of the house. I can't hear. Be gentle. You got any current plans?
I'm going to head back into the college, follow the professor. And I'll say, so you never actually told me about the merchant. You've been here so many years and you were here. He was even coming here when you were young, right?
Well, I didn't always live here. When I was a kid, that old thing happened with the barn collapsing. And it's kind of orphaned around onto here. So I don't know if he showed it before then.
And I remember his little foggy for back then. I don't think he was around the first few years, but he started showing up after that, which was a hard time to hit every year. And it's summer's day, four hours after dawn. I used to run out when I was a kid, tried to find where he was coming in, listened for him, you could hear those rolling wheels, and we'd follow him on right into town.
Never said much. Two hours before dusk. Always started driving out and he came every year. And this has never happened before?
No, it's never happened before. Have you ever heard any stories about who he is, where he might come from? Well, there's plenty of stories. Nothing I've ever heard that's certain.
Some people think he's just a ghost, some kind of spirit. Comes through. Some people say he's some kind of fate. Never really seems to run out with much of anything.
The car seems to hold more than it looks like he can. Never said as much. What happened? There are a lot of people counting on this.
Every year they do. As far back as I can remember. I wish there was something we could do. I've already had a great kingdom.
It really was all kinds of magical advancements. The only thing I had to worry about was all this stuff that came out of the wishwood. One day it just got to be too much. Overwhelmed everything.
Lands black and crack for miles out that way from whatever happened. I don't remember much myself. Now there's just nowhere to go. I wish I could have seen it.
Back then I wish I could have seen all the things that you saw. I was just a kid. I remember too much. Big city.
Nothing like this place. This is all that's left. Alright, let's go from depressing to depressing. So, Leland, as you guys are packing up, ready to go, you hear a loud screen.
And you turn around and you see Paige standing there. And she's just pointing out towards the forest. And you hear these loud noises. As you hear the snares on this near line cracking and chomping down on something coming out of the forest.
And you can see little spiders just a lot of them just covering the ground moving towards your ocean. I pick up the smallest children. One under each arm and another one up on my back or something. I say, alright, let's go.
Come on. It's a town. That's one of the most spiders. Okay, so you guys start running?
Yeah. You live out on one of the farthest farms. So, it takes you a while. Or at least out pacing the spiders.
Yeah, you're out pacing the spiders. And it was just like little spiders, like baby giant spiders or perhaps even just like regular spiders that kind of swarmed before. That was like once too. Okay.
It was clear that the big ones were here. Okay. There's probably another homestead that you might run by and warn them as you go. Is there a chance that they'll happen by a druid who's doing something because they could over the town?
They could. Let's see. Or a monster hunter, I guess. Yeah, so you, on your travels, do run across a druid and you're still looking at the town.
When you hear the alarm go off. There's these pillars right throughout the town on the farms and they use those to alert your value about an attack from the forest. So you hear this person's voice come over spider attack from whatever direction you live in. From away on this farm.
There you go. The fever of fun stuff. You're running into town and man it's been crazy. So everybody's milling about and you see as you're coming in there's a horse vaulting past you back towards where you came from.
And men are right. Actually, they don't really like each other but I'm working together. You gotta get over there. Well, I see my family and is in the relative safety of the town.
I'm going to go see if I can find a great ass to borrow and I head back out there. I see if I can help. I left mine on the farm. What are you guys doing when you hear the alarm?
I would be following orders. So if she tells me to come help I do if she wants to say her due crack control. All of that. Okay.
These things happen. So people are probably pretty used to holding up in town whenever stuff goes down until the morning is arrived. So the crowd can probably handle itself pretty well. So yeah, you're probably being asked to head that way as well.
What are you going to do? When I hear the alarm go off, I'm going to cast a spell. Roll, roll, go, go, go, go, go. And a force shield surrounds me and I head off in the direction of the announcement.
Well the announcement just comes from the pillar. Well, I mean the direction it said. I got the pillar. You guys will take care of the spiders.
So you guys are arrived back at Wayland's farm. And there are druids and monster hunters and even more so spiders everywhere. And to make it easier, you guys of course don't have to fight everything with everybody. That would be crazy.
So I have four of you, one through three are giant spiders and six is a spider swarm. And I guess it's time to roll for initiative. 21. Miles.
Meezely 19. We all roll well. 17. You are first.
All right. I will move my 30 feet up and rage is a bonus action and ready in action to attack when they come close enough. All right. Happy City's most turn.
Okay. I am going to say, I'm going to throw an ice knife at the swarm. All right. That's an attack.
16. 16 hits. Okay. And that does two piercing damage.
Okay. And then the ice explodes. The knife explodes and it has to make a dexterity saving throw. Okay.
That's fail. So it takes seven cold damage. Okay. I will produce flame in my hands and get ready to throw it.
And I will, is there anything around that I can get some high ground? Like is there a tree stump or a thing holder? Well, there are a few buildings around. And I imagine you can probably find the tree stump, which I'm going to climb up on one of those.
That seems good. Is there a tree stump within my range that I can just sort of get out of here? Yeah. There's a tree stump 15 feet away from you.
Okay. Okay. So I climb up onto a tree stump and I produce flame in my hands and I will throw it at the spiders next time. So now is the spiders turn?
We're in, of course, but I have been teaching this position. Correct. Next to all the creatures. Three was the first one to come in the range.
I will smack that one. Because a 21 hit. A 21 hit. A nine damage.
You swing your borrowed great axe down into number three, four axe. Got a good gash going there. And I guess they got to attack other people. I mean, not the other people just attack one because they're two up on my hand.
The other one's too far away. Do you want it to move up to anybody? I think they can probably do something called a web. So these two are going to attempt you.
Number two. That is eight. Nope. Seventeen.
Yep. You heard it. So it's going to hurt you. Five damage.
Two swing? Yes. I will have it. Excellent.
So minus three. And I need you to make it come in safe. Fourteen. Six seeds.
So they're poison? Yeah. Okay. So my friends are going to try to launch it.
At, uh, take a bow. Sixteen? That would normally hit, but I'll spit out a quick. And that pops up a shield, which raises my AC to 20.
All right. You see this giant mass of sticky webbing coming your way. And you're like, ah, and you throw up your shield and it spreads across the magical force field and kind of sticks to it for a minute until it dissipates and it just falls to the ground. Okay.
So the spider swarm. Yeah. That's my move straight up to you. Okay.
It's 20 feet. Yeah. I can do 20. Yeah.
Is it going to enter my swear? I'm going to say it's not my inner space because you're on that stump. It's going to take it. It's going to don't move.
It's not going to do anything. I don't know if that's how it works. I don't know. I was working with him.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.
Okay. Let's see if I can take out the one that I heard. Got you. Eight.
Eight. Swing your axe, but it's seen that move before. It's prepared. It's just in silo.
This one's in detention. That's like a rule. It's for a game of mine. I am going to cast a spell at number one right there.
Okay. L-sap, snap, snap, and target number one and flick a little bubble of acid at it. That's already saving throw. Okay.
It makes it. No effect on that one. Okay. Okay.
Your turn. You're covered in spiders. Okay. I am covered in spiders and I have fire in my hand.
I guess that I will hop off of the stump to try and shake most of them off of me before setting them in place so that I don't, you know, hurt myself and so. I'm probably going to hit them. Twenty two. Oh yeah.
I don't even have to look at the book with that. Okay. So they are going to burn for three fire damage. I'm going to whisper injury would have got them like get the fuck away from me.
Classic, drew a quote. They're popping off nicely on top of that scorched stuff. Yeah. It's not retarded.
So one is going to move up to make a bite. That is a natural one to attack. So it moves up to you and it launches to bite you and it misjudges and hits the ground and kind of rolls upside down up over there next to you. Nice.
It's number two. Twenty one. Out. Number three.
Nineteen. Damn. Oof. You're going to kill us all.
I'm going to kill weightland I guess. Please no. Supper enough. Of course all the rest of this is on fault.
Land of victim. Seven piercing and a commsé. I rolled both the commsé. The first one was a nineteen and the second one it was eleven.
Okay. Take four from the first attack and how much for the second? Two. Total.
I can really have that. Oh, okay. Okay. So that's them and now it's a nice one.
I'm a shot. Yeah. That hits me. Even with my shield up, I wish I don't think we'd do much against this one.
Really? I only have a fourteen. Okay. Many times over.
And failed all the time. I don't want to brag. Well, I'm a barbarian. It's supposed to take punishment.
So they bite you and they deal some amount of damage. These little tiny bites just all over your skin. Okay. The fours.
Seven damage. All right. We're doing great. Okay.
That's it. That's it. That's an actual one. Nice.
That hits. Yes. Eleven damage on the one that I've already heard. So you take a big swing on that one and you get it really good where the head is going to be.
And it's bleeding a lot and it looks really bad but it's still standing. So these are a lot tougher. I am going to try to go out and blaze a glory. The one that Waylin has been Waylin on.
I'm going to fling an acid bubble at it. And so it has a dex saving throw of DC 13. Six. Six.
Acid damage. Bubble passade comes in and it hits right in the wound. You see it bubbling up like hydrogen peroxide in there. It's like there's a big amount of foam as it just clashes down to the ground.
Which was that? There you go. Three. I'm going to cast Thunder Wave at the swarm and try and just blast it back basically so I can go do something more helpful.
So it needs to be a constitution save. Eleven. Eleven is a failure. Well, damage and gets blasted away from me.
Okay. So you cast Thunder Wave and this big force of thunderous energy is wild noise. It blasts these spiders away and you see them just fall to the ground. I'm going to get back out again.
Great. And then I start running a little bit closer to the frame because it seems like I'm going to have to heal somebody. I'm going to have to heal somebody. I'm going to have to take a spider number two.
Eighteen. Now. You mean you're a magnet. Five.
And so three. Yep. Come save. That's a one.
Okay. I make it. That is three poison damage and a zero. Spider number two bites into William and you see him seize up and claps right before you.
Okay. I should have run faster. Spider swarm. No.
No one. So number one gets back up and the fact that you got it. Yeah. One damage.
Okay. I failed this saving time real quick. Five. Yes I do.
Okay. Three. Three poison. I am miraculously still up.
Okay. We're in that saving throw. Seven. That's a fan.
That's a good question. Okay. I am going to hit this one right in front of me with a poison spray. You have snow.
It gets a constitution save. I'll be 13. Three poison damage. Okay.
Oh, great. Okay. I'm going to rush up and heal. Wait.
Wait. I'm like, Oh, max healing. So that's going to be 11. I think.
Yeah. 11 hit points. Nice. Yeah.
I am of course now I have spells, but. But I don't keep missing. Wait. It's conscious.
It's better. I'm going to do with that. Fifteen. That's it.
That means. All right. I'm not reaching anymore. Oh.
This is a good thing you got that max healing. Six damage. Nine down to five. And a con save.
It's one. Okay. It's all right. Poison rushes through you and you almost feel like it's good.
That's a rush. Eighteen versus a good one. Yeah. I'm down.
How much did you have left? Two. Yeah. Okay.
I tried to think about it. I'm like, can you guys not go unconscious? Thank you. But then I'm going to go.
Oh, I can't produce a guess. I will step around. Wait a little end and stab it with my spear. Because that's what I've got right now.
Well, you're still up. Yeah, but he's still prone. So that is a thirteen to hit. Thirteen tonight.
Thirteen. Okay. Well, I stabbed at it with my spear and I'm swearing at it a little bit. Stop trying to ruin my town.
I believe it's my turn. Was it not actually my turn? Did you? You healed in that time.
No, I healed. It was a while ago. Got to heal you. You're not really short now.
Did you skip? I think I know. Did you start going the other way? Did you like spiders to me instead?
I have a little scipified. Yeah. Okay. So yeah, half my fingers stand up and then that says sixteen to hit.
Sixteen hits. They're raging as a bonus action. Ooh, goody. Fourteen damage.
Nice hefty slice. You slice down like all along where it's back bone would be if it had a back bone. And it's looking pretty bad actually. One had its web back and it's going to, am I attacking spiders?
Did you make your first death save? No, I haven't made it yet. No, okay. So I'm pretty sure that what happened is we went down the line to me and then the spiders and then immediately back to me.
Yeah. Okay. So they come back and make a death saving throw. Sixteen.
Okay. Spire number one will web. Okay. Make a bet.
He's unconscious. That's automatically a fails dexterity and strength saves. So, web. Sure.
Okay. So, have me have some number two's there. Is it going for me or for? It's going for my lead.
Yes. That's nice. Is that what it's going for? And this way?
Sure. Okay. Yes. That's nice.
Is that what it's going for? And this way? Kill it, kill it, kill it. Actually, we have to get a shot now.
No, the 1421. Yes. It's time damage. Great.
You finished that one off. I hope they don't leave. You're down to one. It's a good buzz turn.
Can I get the save throw? Sicky death saving. 19. So, a date's turn.
Okay. The counter is already useless. So, I am going to run back over here and try to save spider. Okay.
Then I got a natural one. Oh, right here. It is not good. You try to stab at the spider and your spear might get wrapped up between a couple of his legs and your eye.
Okay. The giant spider, not really concerned with you. You can't do anything. You're really chilling about it right now.
Okay, go for it. Just about to settle down for a good drive. That's a kill at night. I don't want to do that.
I think it's two death saves. Autofail. Yeah, I think yeah. I'll do the other thing guys.
It's going to take you and it's going to start dragging you via the web. Back towards the forest. So, how far? It can be 30.
Do I get an attack of opportunity? You do. So, I'm going to punch it? That's another natural one.
It's going to spin around and fall down on your butt. You've turned around. I have to slap you apparently. Okay.
I fall. Like I'm prone now. Oh, sure. Wait, let's turn.
I'm still a party. Let's go. Let's walk his way to the forest all together and it's a snack. Okay, 21.
10 damage. Probably good. It's attention. It's a bloody actually.
Okay. Nice. Nice axe that definitely needs a kill. Natural 20.
You're awake. You have a hit point and a restart of an hour of strength as you're being dragged by a spider. How did I get here? So, those death saves were 16, 19, 20.
They start. Oh, I'm going to sit up and shout. We need some help over here. Then I will stand and rush over and try and stab it.
Okay. You picked up your spear first? Yes, I picked up your spear first. If I can, it's not going to hit.
It's only an eight. You stabbed a spider. It doesn't care. I look at my spear like you're usually better than that.
An arrow comes flying from... Finish Reoff. One of the monster hunters hits and beds right where the head needs the body and spiders are looking pretty rough. And it's going to take a minute.
Thank you for having my round to not be just a complete waste. You call for help? So many came to help. Lots of people around.
60. That's it. 60 energy build your con. Yeah.
Three poison damage as well. And I'm dying. We're just going to be a little bit tired. I'm going to be a little bit tired.
I'm going to be a little bit tired. I'm going to be a little bit tired. I'm going to be a little bit tired. I'm going to be a little bit tired.
I'm going to be a little bit tired. Three poison damage as well. And I'm down again. Things are working out.
Oh, I think that's your turn. I think that's saving throw. Very easy. Hey.
That's not a particularly success of that. No, you're back with 20 points. Oh, OK. Sweet.
Perfect. Take a light return. Currently restrained by the way. I am.
It doesn't bother me at all. Some acid scarecrow. All south side. Eat it.
We'll slap them with some acid splash. slash dexterity saving room. That's a fail, three acid damage. All right, more of that nice frosty bubbling, but it's hanging on.
Statistically, I'm gonna stab it now. Okay, seven. Yeah, you don't know what it is about this thing's high. It just keeps sliding off.
I'm using the wrong end of the sphere. We turn this around. Another arrow comes and finishes the spider off. Clashes.
We cut that as a win. Number one! The battle here is dying down, not that any of you are really in need. Shake the hell.
The attack is being dragged into the woods by now. I am going to try and help Acabaguet three as the battle dies down. Okay. Make that easier for him.
I definitely need to help. I'm gonna mutter down a claw and conjureate mage hand to help pull off the wedding as well. Yeah, so you guys can get that off. That's your back up.
Yeah, that's what what a hit point looks like. It hurts. So I know you guys are taking care of the spiders in your area and you look around and you see that everything is basically done. There are a lot of injured people.