[IC] The Lesser of Two Heresies.

[Klear]

"Are you alright?" MkLear shouts into the hole, coughing.

[Esther]

"#^^$@*><!" Xilla is swearing in her tribal dialect, like a dockworker on a bad day. Much like a cat she landed on all fours. But this time even she is amazed she got away with it without being hurt. "Fine, landed on webbing" She yells back at MkLear, looking around as she reaches for her sword. "We are standing right in front of some cave, could very well be the bloody lair."  "By the look and smell of it, I think you and Lazerus should come down in a hurry"

[Silhar]

These words are barely out of Xilla's mouth when the noise is back...

[Klear]

"Wanna go first, Laz, or should I? You don't look so good. Feth, I'm getting a little dizzy myself."

[LuckyDee]

Lazerus, having been looking down the entire time, has seen where Xilla landed. He says, between a couple of coughs that have a really inhuman sound to them, "Something's rotten here.", then shouts down "I'm coming in!". Amazingly, the sound of his voice changes completely when the volume goes up; it comes closer to a hissing screech.

Giving Xilla 2 seconds to get out of the way, Lazerus jumps down, hoping to hit the webbing she landed in.

[Klear]

"Sure... spend an hour finding a rope and then jump down," MkLear mutters and starts to climb down the fastened rope, wheezing.

[HexaDoken]

"WELL SHIZNIT" - shouts HexaDoken from bottom of the hole. "Thanks, buddies! Besides, I think I'm alri-" - says HexaDoken but stops, as he realizes the return of the noise. - "-ght. . . . . Something however tells me that I won't be this alright soon enough" - he says in a lowered tone, so only Xilla could probably hear him. Mercerenary quickly takes a lasgun from his shoulder, then looks up at his teammates.

"On other thought, are YOU guys alright? Something tells me that not really."

[Esther]

Xilla had already taken a few steps, but Lazerus coming down unexpected makes her jump out of the way. "That was quick alright" She says, then looking at him a bit closer. "Are you going to be sick?" A glance at MkLear tells her he's not feeling to good either. She then turns around to Hexadoken and whispers "Guess it's you and me Lucky One" The last bit sounds ironic.

[Silhar]

Lazerus' landing is far less lucky... Enough to say that he somehow managed to scratch against the prependicular pipe on his way down and landed on his back.
The results might be painful, as he tries to catch his breath for a moment...
Luckily, your spine broke your fall. The scales on your right elbow, though, are slightly torn.

Spoiler

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3578788/
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3578789/
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3578790/
Subtracting 3 for toughness bonus, we get a total of 4 damage. Hurts.

There is a loud, loud clang as he proceeds downwards, the noise echoing in the distance. Just as if responding, the shriek gets louder...

Spoiler

Entering combat mode...
I decided to roll the initiative for you. Until the fighting is done, please post your responses in according order - until the thing is dead. If you are dead, you don't post anyway.
For this turn, as only HexaDoken managed to realize there's some immediate danger approaching:

1) HexaDoken: 1d10+4=10
2) The Spider: 1d10+4=9

For any following turns:

1) Lazerus: 1d10+3+1 (wary)=13
2) HexaDoken: 1d10+4=10
3) The Spider: 1d10+4=9
4) MkLear: 1d10+3+1 (wary)=5
5) Xilla: 1d10+3=4

HexaDoken notices some enormous shadow on the wall at the other side of the hall - forty meters apart. The shadow is spider-shaped and drooling with venom. The instinct tells you that it also hungers for warm blood...
It crawls downwards, its eight monstrous legs holding impressively against the worn bricks.

[HexaDoken]

HexaDoken looks at the shadow and readies his lasgun.

"Guys, I'm not sure but it seems we have g-"

And then he sees the creature.

Mercerenary quickly aims down the sights of his weapon and shoots a burst of 3 shots.

"WELL WE SURE HAVE ONE GUEST HERE!" - he shouts back, while backing off a few steps.

Spoiler

Semi-auto burst with a hit roll 35! Since I got 35+10 BS, that's a hit for me.
Damage roll 10. That means another shot miraculously emerging from my gun!...
and missing epicly with 80 BS roll.

[Silhar]

The burst of red light flashes and bathes the place in blinding brightness, followed by loud hissing, as the spider attempts to jump off the wall. It manages to dodge two of incoming rays, but as it lands on the ground, the third one hits it right in the body. The fluorescent blood stains the ground and the creature dashes forward, in an attempt to reach the hand that hit it...

Spoiler

Charge at HexaDoken appears to succeed, although there's a pipe in the path, which absorbs some damage.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3579759/
Damage roll:
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3579761/

A total of 2 damage, absorbed by HD's armor and toughness bonus. Lucky this time.

Code Select Expand

####..####
#.|......#
#.|...%.(#
#.|..#...#
#=|====S=#
#.K..X#.H#
#%|..%L..#
##########

A fierce dash meets with an obstacle - the low-hanging pipe - and bends and breaks it with a loud noise. The dirty water starts flowing rapidly from the broken pipe. The force of this desperate rush is adequate to knock the mercenary back a foot or two, but doesn't manage to harm him at all...

[LuckyDee]

Awed by the things insane speed, Lazerus quickly rises to a knee, taking cover behind the rubble between the spider and himself. He puts the autogun's stock to his shoulder while without conscious thought his thumb flicks the switch next the gun's trigger to full-auto. Barrel pointing roughly into the middle of the hairy mass, he lets go...

Spoiler

One half action getting up, second to fire a full blast, hoping (but not specifically aiming) to hit the head. And failing utterly. Go, marksman!

[Silhar]

The storm of bullets flies around, two of them hitting poor HexaDoken in the back.

Spoiler

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3579776/
The first one does a-nuffin', the second one, though...
Nine damage, toughness and armor subtracted already. Ouch.

[HexaDoken]

"Kso!"

What mercerenary did least expect from the spider is for it to move at THIS high speed.

He points his lasgun on the beast, but then just throws it away. Braces himself for the hit, and takes the shotgun from his shoulder. And then he is hit by Lazerus in the back. HexaDoken groans - seems like the hit was hard - but still fires his shotgun at the spider.

Spoiler

35+30 BS, rolled 6. Since shotgun has scatter, that gives me a good three hits.
Three d10 - 5,8,4
Suming up and adding 12 bonus we have 29 impact damage.

[Silhar]

Scream for the cascade of pain.
The spider bleeds a fountain of shiny green blood.
Blinded with pain, the thing jumps at the nearest wall to your right and runs upward as fast as it can, in scant seconds vanishing from sight.
Somehow you've got the feeling that you are far from being safe...

The water flows into your boots already.

Spoiler

Upon defeating the foe, each of you gets 25 xp reward.
Also, for HexaDoken...

Consolation Prize
Because, you know, scars on the back rarely are a fine topic of conversation for having a drink...
+45 xp

For LuckyDee...

Good Old Times
It's not the first time you do this, is it?
+15 xp