The enormous arachnid snapped at the band with its mandibles, its eight glassy eyes gleaming with black menace.
Scomitch leaped into action and struck at the creature with his mace but failed to connect. Fortissimo swooped into the fray, provoking an attack by the spider, but the owl was safe. Aldi began to sing an inspiring song of bravery to encourage the band but wove into the lyrics devastating insults about the spider’s asymmetrical web, questionable parentage, and lack of personal hygiene. Unfortunately, these criticisms did not strike home for the creature, and it shook off the effects of the song. Taking advantage of the confusion caused by Fortissimo, Ary struck the spider with his scimitars, causing a foul eruption of spider juice from its thorax. Nick likewise smashed the monster with his battleaxe, and soon the creature was dead, and the band was mostly unscathed.
The band realized that the one who had stolen the Moonshard had very likely escaped through the hole from which the spider had erupted. Before beginning pursuit, the band quickly checked up on the villagers in the church above, and, finding that no more undead was about, ventured into the tunnel beneath the crypt.
The band found tracks of a shod creature in the tunnel, likely humanoid. However, given the fact that the band was down on resources, they decided to head back to the town to recuperate.
Back at the town inn, Aldi managed to gather rumors about Juriander and the Moonshard, but no one had information about any invaders.
Outside, spidery tendrils laced across the face of Scomatch, dimming the fire-sun, while Thunderfire continues to shine its pale, silvery light.
The band then tracked goblins and skeletons outside the church and found that some villagers had been led away on a forced march. Following the tracks into the forest, the band was set upon by Goblins bearing the symbol of Iuz. The leader of the Goblins, a massive orc known as Glum the Earmonger, demanded that the goblins bring him the ears of any elven foes except Ary, as it was deformed.
The goblins were soon dispatched, and the band continued to follow the tracks until they came to the banks of a river.
On the river bridge, a cloaked figure in ebony armor, apparently feminine based on her silhouette, addressed the band in a foreign-sounding voice.
“How easily these flies get caught in the web. Pathetic. However, these hu-mons would make troublesome slaves. Just end them, and we’ll catch up to Yoflid so that the male doesn’t take all the credit for capturing the slaves.”
The band was then set upon by dark elves but fought valiantly and ended the drow.
Upon searching the drow, the band found a spell book, a map, 4 shortswords, 5 hand crossbows, 2 daggers and 5 chain shirts. Also found were 2 healing potions, one scroll of daylight, and 3 identify scrolls. The spell book of the drow mage contained: Burning Hands, Detect Magic, and Unseen Servant.
Although it was difficult to tell when the path was last walked, it appeared to be within the last day. As the band continued, the normal sounds of nature seemed alarming, wolves whined in the distance and the woods seemed to close about.
As the band followed the path, it was soon apparent that the soil ahead of them had been recently churned and dug. But as they noticed this, hands began to emerge from the churned soil of the road. From shallow graves emerged the walking dead of Rybalka, the corpse of local peasants turned into unspeakable horrors.
Comments