Episode 73: The Right to BEAR Arms

Battle art by VincentVyce1

## Plot

The group decide on confronting Ursa and start there way through the Kingswood, easily avoiding the zombies, that haunt the forest. Leading them through, Enkara recognises a familiar Roper disguised as a carnivorous plant and the tell tale glimmer of Phase Spider webbing ahead, and goes to tell the others when something above catches her eye. A phase spider perched above looks down at her with its eyes and Enkara greets it and it chitters before it drops down upon her. Aya blasts the spider out of the air with an Eldritch Blast, sending it flying before it catches itself and goes after Kairos, biting him before phasing out. Enkara goes to cast Faerie Fire upon two more of the spiders that appear but they avoid it and one goes after Aya, and also misses before vanishing.

            Sarrek realises that the spiders are briefly leaving this plane of existence and instead takes aim at the Roper and his arrow hits deeply into the creature. Injured the Roper pulls itself forward and is met by Karios who engages it with his spear. Just then the first spider returns and Aya hit’s it with a prepared Eldritch Blast as it goes for Enkara again but misses and she responds with an arrow of her own. One of the other spiders goes after Sarrek that bites into him, but thanks to his own dexterous ability and a ring of poison resistance he weathers the attack and goes after the Roper again. This time the arrow finishes off the creature that detonates into pulp splattering Kairos who goes after the spider attacking Enkara and slays it, before standing guard over Enkara and Aya.

            Aya fires two more blasts at the last spider but the creature proves elusive, Enkara fires again as the spider rushes Aya in response but Kairos body slams it back with his shield sending it stumbling. Sarrek fires one last arrow into the phase spider killing it and the group carry on their journey and soon arrive at Ursa’s cave beneath the palace walls. They push through the wall of mist and enter the large mud and gore covered cavern with Ursa rising with a roar from a pile of bones. Sarrek runs to the side and starts the fight by firing off an arrow and in response Ursa casts, causing black tentacles to erupt around the others, catching Kairos and Enkara, though they manage to break free and take up positions around the cavern.

Ursa charges Kairos and unleashes a necrotic lance at Sarrek as Aya fires back, hitting with one of her eldritch blasts and pushing her out of position to lance the group. Sarrek fires an arrow and earns her ire and she charges biting him. Enkara summons her eight giant poisonous snakes surround Ursa and four manage to wound her allowing
Karios to enchant his sword cast shield of faith. Ursa lashes out at the snakes, killing one and fires another lance at Aya, killing a snake but an Entropic Ward leaves Aya unharmed. Two more Eldritch Blasts push Ursa back into a bone pile, leaving her open to arrow fire from Sarrek, the ice magic in his arrow chilling her. Roaring in response she conjures a wall of fire across the room blocking her from sight and burning a snake to ash. Enkara pulls her snakes back, gives Sarrek a healing word, and prepares an arrow while Kairos recovers as well. Ursa moves from beyond the wall and Enkarra fires, hitting, but Ursa’s return fire with a Necrotic Lance injures her badly, and she loses concentration, dismissing her snakes.

Aya blasts Ursa into her own fire wall, which cause the druid to dismiss the spell. lit by the embers from her wall, Sarrek fires again her chill arrows slowing her movement as she fires another Necrotic Lance at Enkara almost bringing her down. Using a moon shard to recover Enkara conjures the snakes back and Kairos raises his standard of the legion encouraging Sarrek to attack again. The snakes then bite in unison their combined bite bring Ursa low and a Mote of Power shatters unleashing its magic bringing her back to full strength, the wave of power banishes the snakes and refreshes the group as they prepare for the second phase of the fight.