It is Begun... (Episode 0, 'Pilot')

It is Begun...

In the waning moments of twilight, a hooded figure in cybermonk robes ascends broken steps winding up a steep overgrown hillock. Fallen columns and remnants of ancient walls litter the forlorn landscape, as twisted trees seem to reach out for it. Wearing a mask behind the hood, the figure grips a dark-bladed shortsword in one hand, as it glides upwards a foot off the ground.
...
Alerted by something in the air perhaps, a large giant arachnid skitters up to the broken wall of a tower right of the long ancient steps and shoots a poisonous webbiing, that catches the hooded figure and restrains it.

Escaping his bonds, Keltos steps into the shadows and reappears away from the spider.

The giant spider skitters over the ruins and moves to stand over the location of her prey, but finds him not. It cast webbing over the area of the steps to deter the intruder's progress should it appear again.

Stepping into the shadow the distance between man and beast close instantly. Going on the offense Keltos lashes out with the dark blade seeking out nerves and meridians that would immobilize the creature.

The great spider is stunned.

Pushing his Advantage, Keltos continues the onslaught with a rapid flurry of unarmed attacks.

The tenacious and powerful arachnid survives the Shadow Monk's assault and goes on the offensive, slashing out with its barbed front legs and gnashing with its poisonous bite. Keltos is snagged by the second leg attack and finds one of his own legs hampered by webbing.

Seeing the necrosis spread from his sword's wound, Keltos is sure its only a matter of time before the spider is overcome...Webbing not withstanding, he moves into shadows again and flanks the hideous thing.

Not fooled by the Shadow monk's shadow play this time, the giant arachnid shifts its weight and attacks again with slashing legs and bite. Once more, the left, footed spider connects with the second leg attack; tearing its barbs through Keltos' skin.

More Slashing and kicking from Keltos, He was trying to conserve some of his strength, but at this point what good would that do dead?

The Shadow monk's dark blade thrusts into the ancient guardian's head. Keltos stabs his gore-splattered blade in for a follow up attack and...

It is Begun...

In the waning moments of twilight, a pale young male carefully ascends broken steps winding up a steep overgrown hillock. Fallen columns and remnants of ancient walls litter the forlorn landscape, as twisted trees seem to reach out for him. Girded in leather and gripping an arcane staff, the slender Aasimar climbs. At the top of the rise he sees a free-standing arch and makes to pass through it.

Suddenly, he sees a flurry of movement in the shadows of an ancient tower's foundation, as a writhing mass of tentacles and vines rushes through the underbrush on a course to intercept his progress.

Lucian sees the movement and reaches up to hold Useless's mouth closed, lest he make a noise in surprise. After moving just enough to see the creature properly he chooses a spot. An explosion of energy hits the area and its surroundings. Once it goes off, he taps the bottom of his staff on the ground, calling forth his Hound to settle ten feet in front of the creature.

The monstrosity of tentacles and vines seems befuddled by the pale young man's sorcery and is knocked prone by the attacking hound. Though, it quickly arights itself and wraps about the beast to tear into fur and flesh with its tentacles. Dark energy surges throughout the monstrous thing, as it literally begins sucking the life out of the hound and repairing the damage done to it.

The hound ignores the grapple to bite down on the tentacles around it. Lucian sends a wave of necrotic energy at the creature after gathering the energy to ignore the distance.

The monstrosity crushes the life out the Hound, then rapidly closes to where the young sorcerer is located. It whips out one of its tentacles to ensnare him, but narrowly misses.

His hound vanishes back to where it came from as the monster attempts to attack him. Luci gives a mutter under his breath he teleports behind the monster on the far side of the ruins. He turns to look at it again as Useless clings to his shoulder and causes a bright fire to come down to hit it.

Though, singed by the flame, the mass of tentacled fury instantly spins to reorient itself, the moment Lucian lands from his teleport, and speedily closes the distance to attack once more. It fails to either bite or entangle the elusive sorcerer in its multiple attacks.

As the creature goes to attack him, Lucian repeats the teleport to once more appear behind the creature at a distance. Once re-positioned, he points to the ground below it and a blast of acid hits the area.

The acidic emerald sphere explodes capturing the tentacled monstrosity in its blast. The infuriated menace races toward the sorcerer's latest location and...