Sniktch's Story Hour - City of the Spider Queen (Updated 04/25)

[Sniktch]

Beyond the wall of stone

In their haste to escape they nearly collided with their other three friends. Jack, Quinn, and Malobar were just preparing to slide down Welby’s rope when the halfling, monk, and mage came running into view.

“Get back, more come!” Welby shouted as he grabbed the end of the rope and started climbing.

They stopped at the top of the shaft while Artimas explained what they’d seen below and what might be heading in their direction, and they all agreed that retreat was their best option until they could formulate a better plan of attack. Jack had already started back down the passage toward the surface when Welby stopped him and called everyone’s attention to the smooth granite wall just past the hole in the floor.

“Not end; tunnel go after wall. Hide back there?”

“Why, Welby, that’s a good idea,” Quinn stated, moving over to examine the wall. She placed her hands upon it and murmured a long incantation, and the wall began bubbling and rippling, the stone seeming to melt and flow outward until a door-sized hole had been formed. The tunnel did indeed continue past the wall, leading to an intersection about thirty feet away.

The party entered the previously blocked hall and started walking, but Welby lingered near the granite wall for a minute. “Seal hole?” he called after his friends.

Quinn shook her head, “Nay. If I seal the hole now we will be trapped in here until I have a chance to say my morning prayers again. We should at least wait until we know what this area holds before locking ourselves in with it.”

The halfling considered her doubtfully for a moment, then nodded and ran to take his position as lead scout. They took the left branch at the intersection and soon entered a large gallery, bare of noteworthy features save the two enormous piles of spider webs that seemed to grow out of the floor like weird mushrooms. A huge head protruded from one of the webs when they entered, and Welby and Malobar suddenly found themselves looking into the eight glittering eyes of a cottage-sized spider. Malobar seized the halfling’s shoulder and pointed to a second monster hiding on the ceiling.

Malobar had just enough time to yell, “Spider!” before the leaping monstrosities were upon them. He dove under the initial attack, just avoiding the dripping fangs as the gnashed together where his head had just been, spinning in mid-tumble and drawing a long gash along the spider’s soft underbelly. He felt relief as he saw that this time, the wound was bleeding; these spiders were still living.

Artimas started to fly forward when three streaks of red energy flew out of the hallway behind him and thudded painfully into his backside. At the same time, a dripping arrow composed completely of acid splashed into Jack and started eating through the dwarf’s platemail and the flesh beneath. A dry, rustling laugh that reminded them of tearing silk echoed down the tunnel as the magical strikes hit home.

Jack yelled, “We’re surrounded!” and started running back the way they’d just traveled with Quinn and Grick right behind him. He came into view of his opponents – bloated, monstrous aberrations with the grotesque, distended abdomens of enormous spiders and the torsos and upper body of dark elves. The driders laughed again at the sight of the heavily laden dwarf crashing through the passage, then they muttered a string of gibberish while rubbing amber rods with swatches of fur.

Welby and Malobar continued their desperate, dodging struggle against the monstrous vermin assaulting them. They had been lucky thus far; only Welby had received a bite and had easily resisted the venom, while the spiders were bleeding from many wounds. Suddenly, two bolts of lightning rent the darkness as the driders completed their spells, crackling down the length of the hallway and badly burning both the party members and the huge spiders they faced. The two rogues made short work of the burned and twitching arachnids and rushed back to join battle with their new opponents.

Jack’s frustrations mounted as he chased the surprisingly agile beasts. The driders seemed content to launch a burst of spells and then retreat into the darkness, remaining always just on the edge of the dwarf’s vision. They reached the intersection and scuttled around the corner, disappearing down the passage the group had passed by earlier. Jack ran to the hallway and skidded to a stop as he saw his foes.

The tunnel opened into another large chamber littered with refuse, and both of the driders sat a mere fifty feet away, taunting him with voices like a thousand droning flies. “Poor slow dwarf,” they rasped, “you will never catch us. Surrender now and we will bless you with the glorious form of the drider – continue to resist and you will be food. Food.”

Jack grinned, thinking that the beasts had underestimated him. They didn’t know of the magical boots he wore that enhanced his quickness, but they would soon learn of their error. Roaring a challenge, Jack activated his boots and charged the creatures with the resulting burst of speed. He smiled grimly as he saw the driders’ eyes widen with shock at his amazing celerity, then felt a sickening lurch as his feet failed to find purchase on the rocky floor and he felt the curious, stomach-turning sensation of falling.

The driders’ mock expressions of surprise melted and their laughter filled the room again as the dwarf disappeared through the illusionary wall covering the open pit in the floor and bounced down the sixty foot drop to the spikes below.

 

[Broccli_Head]

Re: Beyond the wall of stone

The driders’ mock expressions of surprise melted and their laughter filled the room again as the dwarf disappeared through the illusionary wall covering the open pit in the floor and bounced down the sixty foot drop to the spikes below.

Ouch! That's gotta hurt...

 

[darkbard]

ooh, suckered by a spiked pit trap! when will that jack learn!?!

 

[Sniktch]

The drider battle continued and a farewell

Grick heard the dwarf’s battle cry suddenly cut short, followed by the sound of insectile laughter. He rounded the corner as he heard a distant muffled crash and beheld the two driders standing about fifty feet away, but saw no sign of Jack. The misshapen things saw him enter and started floating upwards, levitating off the ground and hiding within the enfolding shadows near the ceiling of the chamber. Grick leaped into the air, his powerful muscles propelling him across the gap that separated him from his foes and, unbeknownst to him, over the hidden pit where the dwarf had fallen.

The driders gestured toward the fast approaching monk and six streaking red missiles zipped through the air and burned smoking holes into his flesh. Grick gritted his teeth to keep from crying out and crashed into one of the monsters, smacking it hard in the chest before gravity took over and he tumbled back to the floor. The monk immediately raced to the wall and started running upwards to force his opponents back into close combat.

Malobar joined him, flying around the corner and straight toward the closest drider, swinging his shortsword wildly. The elf felt the shock of impact run up his arm as his sword struck an invisible shield of force and was turned aside. The monsters scuttled away across the ceiling, flinging another barrage of stinging red missiles into the monk and elf.

Quinn, Artimas, and Welby all reached the intersection at the same time and saw the furious battle raging across the roof of the chamber. Artimas pulled forth the wand he’d recovered from the dark elf mage they’d faced the day before and pointed it at one of the arachnoid creatures. A bolt of electricity leaped from the tip of the slender shaft and slammed into one of the driders, sending the monster into a wild series of convulsions as the lightning played up and down its limbs. Welby sheathed his sword, readied his bow, and disappeared into the shadows, while Quinn prayed to Dumathoin and called forth a beam of red-hot light, unfortunately missing her target and scoring a line of scorched earth across the ceiling.

*****

The dwarf lay stunned and groaning at the bottom of a deep hole. He slowly recovered his wits and became aware of pain, agony calling from so many wounds that he could not begin to catalogue his many hurts. He tried sitting up but a wave of nausea passed over him and he realized that he was impaled on several of the wicked spikes sticking up from the floor.

With a great effort, Jack pulled himself free of the spikes and slumped to the ground beside them, his hand pressed to his stomach to keep the guts from spilling forth. He tried to rise but nearly fainted when he tried to place his weight upon his left ankle and he realized that the bones were shattered. Probably not the only ones, he thought as he gingerly prodded the injury with his stubby fingers.

Stumpwater Jack concentrated with all his willpower on clearing his mind and fell into a meditative trance. As his mind sank into an empty void, he began mumbling the mantras of Clangeddin Silverbeard, Dwarf Lord of Battle, and his body became suffused with a glowing, golden aura. The positive energy spread through his body mending the various cuts, punctures, and breaks – sealing the wicked holes in his stomach and side and fusing the bones in his leg and ankle back together. The glow winked out and Jack opened his eyes, restored to health save for some minor scrapes and contusions.

“Now,” he said to himself as he rummaged through his pack, “now, we give those driders a surprise they weren’t expecting.”

He retrieved a potion and pulled the cork, draining the contents in one gulp. The dwarf readied his axe as the potion took effect and he felt his feet lifting off the ground. A soft chuckle escaped the warrior’s lips as he flew toward the sounds of combat raging above.

*****

Welby readied an arrow and prepared to fire at the back of an unaware drider. The halfling had moved deep into the shadows of the chamber, well out of reach of the light shed by Artimas’ torch, and it was doubtful the driders were even aware of his presence. He aimed carefully, seeking a headshot on his closest opponent, when a strange sight almost caused him to drop the weapon.

The figure of Stumpwater Jack floated up from the floor of the room like an avenging apparition and shot upwards at one of their foes, his axe leaving a trail of blue sparks in front of the halfling’s vision. “Clangeddin!” the angry dwarf roared, coming up underneath one of the monsters and slashing his axe across its soft abdomen. The drider screamed in pain and ran backwards across the ceiling, surrounding itself with a globe of darkness.

The second creature moved to the side and cast another bolt of lightning through the air, burning through Jack, Grick, and Malobar as they started to pursue the wounded drider through the magical darkness. It started to weave another spell, but stopped with a sudden outraged shriek when an arrow flew from the gloom and impaled the beast through its side. The drider whirled around, seeking its unknown attacker, but could see nothing in the direction from which the missile had traveled. It gestured at the ground and a series of torch-like lights appeared, illuminating the room with a soft glow.

The lights also exposed the small figure of a halfling with an arrow nocked and aimed directly at the drider. The little warrior loosed his shot and smiled as it buried itself in the beast’s abdomen. Another globe of pure blackness appeared around the second drider and Welby lowered his bow as Malobar flew into it with his sword drawn. An ululating scream rang out from the darkness and then the bloated corpse of the drider fell to the ground, the elf slowly floating earthward behind it.

Artimas watched the other globe closely as the monk and dwarf disappeared inside of it after their foe. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of the drider emerging from the back of the area of magical darkness and start to flee, trailing its guts behind it. “Thought to escape? Think again, foul beast, no one escapes the embrace of Arawn!” he yelled at it and flew in its direction. The drider whirled and tried one last desperate attack, throwing a trio of missiles to impact harmlessly against the wizard’s magical wards. Artimas closed the gap and brushed one of his fingers against one the creature’s long legs and it fell apart, aging millennia in a matter of heartbeats. A dry, desiccated skeleton and a shower of dust fell from the ceiling and the necromancer reveled in the feeling of omnipotence as he bound its shade to his service.

Their opponents defeated, the group set about the task of examining the area and binding their injuries. The chamber was clear save for the drained husks of the driders’ last meal and a large refuse heap. Welby plunged into the muck and recovered several gems and a couple of potion bottles, but the stench clinging to the halfling was so strong afterwards that Grick finally held him down while the others poured water over him and washed the miasma away.

The explored the rest of the small cave complex and found one more chamber, empty except for thick cobwebs and the husks of many large spiders. The area was cleared and secure now and they began to set up camp. Welby pointed down the hallway the way they had entered and asked, “Now seal hole?”

“Yes, about that. Welby, I think we’ve been going about this all wrong. They city is obviously well defended against a frontal assault, and I believe we need to know more about what we’re up against.

“Welby, you are nearly invisible, and in fact you are completely invisible in the absence of light, thanks to that ring you wear. Why don’t you return to the city alone and scout its defenses while we rest?” Artimas queried.

The halfling nodded, seeing the logic behind the idea. He had been badly injured in the day’s fighting, but Quinn had cast several spells upon him and he was back to nearly full strength. Barely three hours had passed since they’d entered the cavern complex and he would not be tired for some time. It seemed the perfect opportunity to learn more about their foes.

They walked the rogue back to the wall of stone and he stepped through and prepared to climb down the shaft leading to the drow settlement. He paused and looked back at his friend one last time, a frown playing across his features. “Seal hole?” he asked again.

Quinn shook her head, “Welby, once I close the hole how will you be able to get back in?”

The halfling scratched his head for a moment before answering, “Um, secret knock?”

The priestess still looked doubtful. “A secret knock isn’t going to matter. I cannot cast the spell to reopen the wall until tomorrow morning. You’ll be stuck on the other side the rest of the day and all night, Welby.”

The halfling shrugged. “Ok, see you tomorrow. Welby be fine.”

“No, Welby. I’ll seal the wall after you return, but I couldn’t bear to leave you stranded out there. Just hurry back to us and then I’ll cast the spell.”

The halfling had grave misgivings about the hole remaining open. He knew that he could stay hidden from the dark elves and other denizens of the underdark, but if they sent any drow in pursuit of the group they would find the new hole in the wall of stone immediately. He seemed about to speak when Malobar joined the debate, patting the barbarian on the shoulder and assuring him, “Don’t worry, little one. I will remain by the entrance to guard, and I will see the approach of any attackers immediately with my keen senses. Go scout and return as quickly as possible, and let us worry about what happens in the meantime.”

Welby was still dubious but could see that he wasn’t going to win the argument. He waved to his friends one last time, then slid into the hole and set out towards Szith Morcane, the city in the canyon.

 

[Sniktch]

Welby's scouting mission and doom finds the party

A new team of guards had moved up into the entrance cavern, but thankfully, the halfling noted, no spiders. Three dark elf warriors and a wizard carried on a joked with each other while watching two of the skinned undead beasts carried the corpses from the earlier battle to the chasm edge and threw them over the side. Welby made sure his shadowy companion stayed in the wall, completely out of sight, then silently crept around the side of the chamber and approached the canyon.

Gazing back over the side, he noted that two of the thick strands of web were attached to the edge where he could reach them. A large group of drow had started to patrol the web, and the halfling watched them curiously, wondering why they did not stick to the silky substance.

He grabbed a discarded shortsword from the cave floor while no one was looking and crawled to the center strand. He tentatively poked at the web a couple of times until he was satisfied that this particular strand had no adhesive properties. Then he moved down to the other strand and repeated the process. This time the sword was held fast by the web, and no amount of shaking or pulling could free it.

The halfling stopped and released the weapon, aware of movement on the cliff. He watched in horrified awe as a section of the cliff, which he had thought to be a large rock formation, seemed to sprout eight long legs and begin moving along the web in his direction. He shrank back into the corner of the wall and remained absolutely motionless as a spider of epic proportions scaled the vast web and moved up to the entangled sword.

The immense arachnid, its abdomen fully sixty feet in diameter, was covered in clumps of thick black hair and bony, razor-sharp protrusions. It had fiendish glowing red eyes and venom constantly dripped from its gigantic maw. The spider snapped the sword off the web with its mandibles, bit it in half, and then, realizing that it was not food, spit the broken shards into the abyss and began moving back down the web to its previous perch.

Welby waited until he was sure the spider had moved far away before he relaxed enough to start breathing again. So some of the webs were sticky, the halfling thought. He spent the next two hours leaning over the cliff, studying the dark elf patrol and memorizing which strands they moved upon and which ones they avoided. When he was satisfied that he knew the general layout of the proper pathways he started to withdraw from the area and return to his friends, when another thought occurred to him. What if another spider laired on the other side of the cliff? He had better explore more thoroughly in that direction and make sure he knew the answer before he reported back.

The halfling slowly rummaged through his pack, making sure to remain silent, and finally withdrew a small stoppered steel vial. He uncorked it and drained the contents, then waited for a minute while the enchantment took effect. When he was sure the potion had had enough time to work its magic the halfling set out again, sliding over the edge of the cliff and scurrying across the wall on all fours.

He crawled to the edge of the web and then about two hundred feet past it but saw no sign of any other monstrous spiders or guards. He was about to turn back when he noticed a small opening in the wall on the other side of the yawning gulf, about fifty feet away. Welby moved onto the ceiling and crossed the gap, then cautiously entered the crevice and looked around.

It opened into a small cave with a low ceiling. The chamber dropped off about halfway in, sloping down about ten feet to form a miniature cliff within the tiny room. At the base of the slope the halfling saw a bedroll and backpack, neatly rolled and tied and propped against the northern wall. He peered quizzically around the chamber but could detect no other occupants.

Shrugging, he climbed down to the backpack and unfastened it, then opened the flap to look inside. As the leather pulled away and exposed the contents, a terrifying figure melted from the shadows, seized the open container, and pulled it way. The newcomer looked like a strange cross between a dark elf and a spider. Not a drider, this figure had the same basic shape and appearance of a drow, but her skin had changed to a dusky gray and grown tough and knobby, with tufts of wiry hair covering her form. The most horrific changes were to her face – she had the glittering, multi-faceted eyes of an insect and her lower fangs had grown outward into a pair of wicked pincers.

She held the backpack close to her side and floated off the ground, hovering near the roof of the chamber. “Thief!” she hissed in broken common, “I cannot see but know you here. Show yourself!”

Welby retreated to the top of the slope and remained in the shadows watching the strange woman. She remained hovering for a long time, whispering to herself and glancing back and forth in a paranoid manner. He could not understand the language she used, but it sounded almost like she was carrying a running conversation with herself. The halfling put his hand to the hilt of his small sword and considered attacking with the advantage of surprise, as his ring was obviously effective against this person and he would have a vast advantage over her. Then something else clicked in his head and he started to exit the crevice.

The first drow they had faced in the upper levels all wore symbols of spiders and spider webs and claimed to be refugees from Szith Morcane. Then the drow guarding the entrance to the city had all worn the symbols of skulls or no symbol at all. Now this curious creature again sported the symbol of a spider. In fact, she had a great hunk of metal forged in the shape of a spider that seemed to be imbedded in her throat. Perhaps this one was an enemy of the drow currently occupying Szith Morcane and might be persuaded to ally with the party.

Welby left the crevice, taking careful note of its position. He did not feel comfortable trying to speak with the creature; she would just think him a thief for looking through her things. He would tell Artimas about her, though. The wizard could be very persuasive, and if anyone could convince the strange woman to aid them, it would be he.

The halfling stopped halfway back to the exit, noting new activity on the giant web. A group of fourteen warriors had emerged from the closest cave to the top and started to ascend. Welby raced across the wall to catch them and climbed back onto the ledge just behind the last dark elf. He noted the presence of two of the skinless undead and a wizard in the new group, as well as an imperious looking female in darkened mithral chainmail that seemed to be in charge.

The female barked something at the sentries and they stepped aside to allow the small force to pass. Welby’s heart sank as he realized this group was bound for the upper catacombs and would probably discover his friends in just a few more moments. Why hadn’t they listened to him and sealed the breach in the wall of stone? The warriors moved to the hole leading to the surface and started to climb. The first pair up tied a rope to the metal ring and dropped it back down for the others. Then the halfling’s worst fears were conceived as he heard the telltale sound of a signal whistle pierce the night.

*****

Malobar waited on the other side of the wall of stone for the halfling to return, alert for any movement or disturbance in the air that would signify that something or someone approached. Hours passed but the elf maintained his silent, vigilant guard. Finally, he sensed movement at the lip of the hole leading to Szith Morcane and he tensed expectantly. Was it the barbarian coming back?

He found the answer soon enough as two drow emerged from the hole. They fastened a rope to the top and threw it back down the hole and then stood and looked around. One of them noticed the gaping opening the elf hid behind and pointed, snickering, “Looks like the stupid surface dwellers found the driders we sealed in. Maybe the cursed things have taken care of our problem for us!”

The other chuckled and replied, “Either way would suit me. Either we have a few less foolish would-be heroes to deal with or a couple less Spider Kissers.”

More dark elves began to emerge from the hole as the first pair rose and began walking in Malobar’s direction. The elf braced himself, placed his signal whistle between his lips and pursed them, blowing a ringing note that echoed through the tunnels, then rose and fired an arrow at the nearest drow.

Next session: Things look grim for our heroes; who will survive the drow strike team (if anyone)? Will Sniktch have a TPK on his hands or will the party manage an amazing escape from sure doom?

 

[Sniktch]

Whoah! Nice filter software, it won't let me use the word s in a post. I guess my villains will have to snicker instead.

 

[Broccli_Head]

Re: Welby's scouting mission and doom finds the party

Next session: Things look grim for our heroes; who will survive the drow strike team (if anyone)? Will Sniktch have a TPK on his hands or will the party manage an amazing escape from sure doom?

That was really fun reading Welby's solo. The little barbarian is smarter than we think!

I think that some of players will survive what evil DM Sniktch throws at them.

 

[Jinx]

Re: Re: Welby's scouting mission and doom finds the party

I think that some of players will survive what evil DM Sniktch throws at them.

Well, at least one person will.

-- Quinn's fan club

 

[darkbard]

dagnabbit! now even the players are throwing us nasty teasers!

 

[Jinx]

dagnabbit! now even the players are throwing us nasty teasers!

Not a teaser, just wishful thinking.