Once more into the Void Session 17

“Keep it close, burn those webs!”

Thyrell was shouting from behind me as we slowly worked our way through the tunnel filled with giant spiderwebs. The webs looked old, the occasional corpse of a rat or mouse mummified with age but we were not taking any chances.

Ahead Mukah was burning webs and slapping at webs with his sword. This really seems like a bad idea. Maybe we could send the mangy wolf of Thyrell’s forward to scout. I turn to talk Thyrell behind me - and see Thyrell’s boots swinging in the air in front of my face. I look up. Thyrell is caught in the webs somehow and is rising to a hole in the tunnel roof.

I know just what to do. I gather my robes leap and grab Thyrell by the belt flopping my entire weight to the tunnel floor dragging Thyrell with me. Only, Thyrell does not budge and I fall to the hard ground. Looking up I see a thick web wrapped around Thyrell’s neck.

“Thyrell?”

“Gahhhhh!”

Once more into the Void Session 17: Spiders are people too?

When last we left our heroes they had discovered an ancient road leading up into the mountains. They continued to follow the cleared path through the woods created by the ancient road. Stopping occasionally to check for tracks but not finding anything. The path starts to climb steeply into the mountains and the trees begin to thin out.

The road leads to a partially concealed cave mouth in the side of a cliff. The heroes enter the cave mouth into a long, narrow tunnel. The tunnel extends fairly straight for miles, ascending slightly. After walking for most of the day the tunnel finally begins to widen out. The heroes enter a large cave that is covered in thick, giant spider webs. Assuming the worst, the heroes attempt to draw out the expected spiders by burning and hitting the webs. Nothing happens.

Rather than move on, the heroes decide to pick a side tunnel and investigate. The passage winds into a web-filled cave. Otrivush casts firebolt several times, burning pathways through the webs. On a rock shelf, Mukah discovers a mummified corpse of a halfling wrapped in webs. A search of the corpse turns up a gold coin and a few silver coins.

A few more tunnels are checked and nothing is found. In the last tunnel checked, Mukah, in the lead triggers a trap and is struck by a poison dart.  Otrivush Oto turns to ask Thyrell if Tinda the wolf could scout ahead and discovers Thyrell is being dragged up to the ceiling by webs. His feet already at the height of Oto’s head. Oto jumps, grabs Thyrell by the belt and drops his full weight to the floor. Oto hits the floor, but fails to dislodge Thyrell he is being dragged into a hole in the ceiling by a web around his neck. The rescue attempt by Oto almost kills Thyrell. Alcor runs up and supports Thyrell’s feet to prevent him from choking. At this point three large spiders emerge from the webs near Talrek and Mukah and attack.

Thyrell is dragged into the air. Oto attempts to rescue him.

One spider bites Alcor, another misses Oto. Taking things into his own hands - literally, Thyrell manages to get a hand on the web about his neck and break it, falling to land on Alcor’s shoulders. Looking up Thyrell sees a strange humanoid creature with additional spider-like appendages.

Talrek blasts one spider with Guiding Bolt and strikes another with his Spiritual Hammer. Mukah attacks a spider with his longsword. Talrek is immediately grabbed around the neck by a loop of spider web coming from a hole in the tunnel ceiling. Otrivush attacks from the seat of his pants with Flaming Hands hitting two spiders and killing one of them. Alcor climbs up into one of the holes in the tunnel roof and sees two of the strange spider creatures in a low tunnel looking down through holes into the tunnel. One of the spiders bites Oto but he manages to cling to life (just barely). Thyrell kills this spider with attacks from both of his short swords. Oto, still sitting on the floor, strikes and kills the last giant spider with Magic Missile.

Talrek continues to struggle but is unable to break free as he is drawn into the hole in the tunnel ceiling. Above in a narrow tunnel, Alcor flings a dart, hitting one of the spider creatures in the head. It shrieks in pain. Talrek manages to break free of the web around his neck as he enters the tunnel above. He summons his Spiritual Hammer. Apparently trapped between Alcor and Talrek the creatures suddenly run into the webs and disappear down a narrow tunnel. Talrek angrily shoots magic fire into the webs in the tunnel but the creatures have fled.

The heroes gather in the tunnel below to take stock. There is little thought of chasing the creatures into the web filled tunnels. Oto suggests moving on quickly before the creatures regroup.