H. Lewit pulls his rapier from the dead spider and turns in time to see Traven molt. Once the blue-and-purple mottled spider scuttles on eight fast legs from the festhall, Lewit is in hot pursuit. Once outside the Cockatrice, Lewit can accurately judge the spider's course by the screams of panic coming from the folk in the byway. The fiend heads east. Lewit is fairly certain that should he wish to pursue the spider, he can match the creature's pace for at least a while.
Pilgrim runs back to the kitchen to check on the cook. The Knight of Bahamut climbs up on the kitchen work table to check the cook. Winded from running all the way from the center of the festhall into the kitchen, Pilgrim moves to check the cook for a pulse but finds he needs to steady his own breathe before doing anything else. Given that the man's throat has been torn out, resulting in what must have been at least several tankards of spilt blood, it seems unlikely that the cook is still alive. Pilgrim's boots and hands are stained red with the man's blood.
Voadam runs out the main doors to give chase, drawing his wand in a mock threatening manner. From the doorway, Voadam sees Lewit give chase down the street in hot pursuit of the fleeing spider. The spider, undetered, seems to be heading east but will soon come out on Overtegyrn Byway very near Nickleby Bar, the city's southernmost main gate. After that, it's a crapshoot--the spider could head any number of directions, not the least of which is into the labrythine Rivermark district. Maelicent fits an arrow to his bow's string and runs, weapon at the ready, for the festhall's flung open front door. Maelicent spies Voadam near the doorway just in time to see the human draw what looks to be a stick in a threatening motion. The spider keeps running, redoubling its speed, with H. Lewit already in pursuit. With only a 30 foot lead at the moment, it seems to Maelicent that should he wish to do so, he, Voadam, and Lewit could hold pace to run after the spider to tail it.
Gamad joins Dter, who was already at the bar, for the remainder of his ale. Given the commotion and the custom's near stampede to vacat the Cockatrice, it's nothing short of remarkable that a row of ales sits unmolested down the length of the bar. The previous owners now long gone, the ale is free for the taking to any who have a thirst.
Brakkus, cursing the luck that left him without his precious guisarme, quits the festhall in favor of pursuing the spider alongside Lewit, Voadam, and Maelicent. Brakkus has the speed to match not only the other three pursuing the fiend, but the creature itself.
The spider, still shedding bits of human skin as it flees, creates quite a stir on the narrow byway. Several whores and their clients pop their heads out of windows in the Wilted Rose across the street from the Golden Cockatrice. One man, a nobleman fop by his lace shirt sleeves, yells drunken encouragement at the pursuers from the arms of his painted companion. The spider, seeing four would-be pursurers, knuckles down and shoots ahead at full bore. With a 30-foot lead on its closest pursuit, the spider out-and-out runs east, making for Overtegyrn Byway.
The creature will likely reach the intersection within two rounds.
Initiative
Lewit 24
Pilgrim 22
Voadam 20
Maelicent 17
Dter 15
Gamad 12
Brakkus 12
Spider 11