The Hook

I was thrilled to have one of the players in my game group pushing the other players to go back into a tough adventure and finish things. With this group, the leader usually decides whether the adventurers should continue based on a very mercenary risk/reward ratio. His character did not want to re-enter the adventure because of the danger. Two characters died last session.

Once the Spider Caves were cleared I had a half-dozen hooks for the party for the next adventure. I need a lot of hooks with this group of players because their characters frequently pass on adventures if they do not feel the reward is worth it. Such as the trial of having high-level overly rich characters in the campaign. One of the characters rarely spends gold and has accumulated a King's ransom. I always eagerly read articles on separating characters from their gold but I usually find the suggestions disappointing.

The hook they chose was the kidnapping of an NPC who has been helpful to them in the past. This is always a good hook to get any character involved but I have to be careful not to overdo it. This adventure was a one-session encounter that I wrote. Though I do use and modify a lot of pre-written adventures I still do occasionally write something new.

Session 154: The Spider Caves

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Grasshopper (human monk), Domago (human cleric NPC), Brovin (human thief NPC), Aelshara (half-elven fighter/magic-user NPC).

The members of the Company of the Black Dragon are at a Copper Mine camp near the village of Whetwhistle. Having dealt with a strange abomination that attacked some miners they discuss whether to head back down into the mines with Whexley Windham the part-owner of the mine.

“We’re not going back down there if there are giant spiders,” one of the miners says.

“Could you go back down and make sure all of the spiders are dead?” Whexley asks.

“Certainly, it is good for the village and the mine if we clear this,” Grasshopper promised.

Whexley looked relieved but Lakima interrupted and provided a caveat. He requested that all of the aetherium be removed from the mine as soon as possible. Whexley was quick to agree. The foreman Astrid spoke of how long it would take but Whexley waved her quiet.

Domago cast healing spells on Grasshopper and Aelshara because they were injured. Everyone else indicated that they were okay. Eathwund looked like he had never taken any injuries just a half-hour earlier.

Astrid accompanied the group back into the mine and manned the crane lowering them down to the lower levels. From there they quickly made their way down to the lowest levels of the mine where they had recently fought the giant spiders. Lakima checked with the arrow of direction for more spiders but it just pointed further down.

“Try southeast,” Lakima says to Grasshopper.

Grasshopper led the group through the strange burrowed tunnels until he arrived at a collapsed tunnel. A slight breeze with a hint of rot in the air suggested that the tunnel might lead somewhere.

“Eathwund, do you think you could move these stones?” Grasshopper asked.

Eathwund set down his weapons and shield and got to work. He used his magical giant strength to shift huge boulders out of the way. Grasshopper helps by moving some of the smaller rocks. Soon a breeze of foul-smelling air filled the tunnel as Eathwund shifted a last, large boulder out of the way.

“Let me get out in front a way,” Grasshopper whispered.

Grasshopper soon disappeared quietly down the tunnel which curved a few times and then went steeply down entering natural caves. The floor, of the caves was covered in fungus and giant fungus grew up to heights of more than six feet. Several tunnels headed off in different directions.

After a moment of thought, Grasshopper points east into the largest cave. Within a few steps as the light of his torch fills the cave they hear the piercing, unmistakable sound of a shrieker. Brovin and Aelshara fall to the cave floor clutching their ears while the others quickly stuffed cotton in their ears.

“It’s a shrieker!” Lakima shouted.

Seeing a translucent form in the distance moving slowly into the cave Lakima acts quickly and casts disintegrate. The object vanishes reduced to powder.

“I hope there was no treasure in it,” Brovin says.

“Oh, yeah,” Lakima shrugged.

The sound of the shrieker continued until the group rushed through the cave. As they exited the cave and the shrieking stopped Eathwund saw a giant spider scuttling rapidly toward them. Grasshopper fired several arrows and Lakima threw several darts hitting the spider before it reached Eathwund. Eathwund then quickly dispatched the spider with his sword.

Following Grasshopper the adventurers enter a large cave with a pool of water where they are ambushed by four giant spiders. One circles behind them and attacks Eathwund and Aelshara while three more attack Grasshopper and Domago. Lakima casts an Ice Storm spell that drives off one spider and badly injures two others. While Eathwund hacks down one spider, Grasshopper takes care of the other two. Then Grasshopper chased after the fleeing spider hitting it with several arrows. It was later killed and eaten by a 20-foot-long giant centipede. The Centipede was killed by the adventurers through the use of darts and arrows.

In the large cave, Grasshopper identified and killed three more shriekers. Leaving the cave, they returned to the tunnel they entered from that led back up to the copper mine. Heading north they encounter more spiders and kill them. Grasshopper having learned the weak spots of the spiders kills two with single blows with his fists. Later they come across a chamber lit by sunlight.

Looking upward, Grasshopper sees a narrow shaft 100 feet long leading to the hillside above. The shaft is covered in weeds and vines.

“Looks like this is how they are getting into the mines,” Grasshopper tells the others, “The miners could use this entrance to access these caves.”

Heading north Grasshopper silently sneaks into a cave and spots a giant spider resting atop a huge five-foot-tall mushroom. He heads back and tells Eathwund. Eathwund moved quickly into the chamber and attacked the spider as it leaped down. Soon another spider joins it and both are killed. Looking west into a dark cave they see a much larger spider sitting amongst a clutch of white eggs.

“Let’s be done with this,” Lakima says.

Lakima casts a fireball spell detonating it in the cave with the spider queen. A wall of fire bursts from the cave and the spider also comes flying out at the adventurers. After a brief fight, Eathwund and Grasshopper kill it.

After checking the remaining caves in the area and finding them empty the adventurers returned to the surface. At the surface, the adventurers meet with the miners and assure them that the spider nest has been destroyed. It is safe to enter the mines. The miners seem unconvinced. Whexley tries to convince them as well. Astrid comes up from the mine after having viewed the aetherium deposit for herself. She tells them that aetherium is rarely found so close to the surface. The dwarves have a monopoly on it since it is usually mined so far underground. Lakima has a conversation with Whexley and the miners and he offers 1 gold for every pound of aetherium brought out of the mines. This excites the miners who quickly get to work.

Astrid tells the group that there are thousands of pounds of aetherium in the find below. Lakima decides to change his offer to the first 1,000 lbs of aetherium brought out of the mines. The group settles in at the Goose Inn in Whetwhistle. Lakima sends a boy back to Edgerton with a message for August his apprentice. Later that day the boy returns with August who is carrying the magical spade of excavation.

Eathwund and Grasshopper descend into the mine to help the miners. But with the spade of excavation and his giant strength, Eathwund extracts the entire deposit of aetherium in little more than an hour. The aetherium ore, broken into small chunks is transported by cart to Whetwhistle where Lakima asks for it all to be dumped into a large pile. Using a limited wish spell Lakima makes all of the aetherium vanish.

“Did I just imagine the rock?” Whexley says looking at the empty field in astonishment.

“Yes – it was just an illusion,” Lakima says.

“But why?”

“I work in mysterious ways,” Lakima says, “You should forget about this.”

With the copper mine up and running the group mounts their horses to return to Edgerton. Lakima has a few words with Whexley suggesting that with the spade of excavation being left with Astrid he expects much better results out of the mine.

Late that day they return to Edgerton. Alayna asks Lakima why a simple spider infestation at the mine took so many days to clear up. Lakima takes her down to the vault in the cellar to show her what they dug up. When he opens the vault door, aetherium spills out into the hallway.

“You filled the vault with rocks?”

Lakima tries to explain aetherium to Alayna. She takes a small sample to study on her own. Domago heads over to the Church of St. Aleena. Aelshara disappears for a few days. Eathwund visits the Sign of the Purple Bugbear. He sees Eris has been moved to waitress from her chambermaid position. His manager, Yana, tells him that Eris’ dangerous manners work best in the taproom. Yana reports no issues with the local gangs. Eathwund’s last talk with the local gangs seems to have them giving the Inn a wide berth.

Grasshopper goes to see the smith Cromly. He negotiates a price for two magical brass knuckles which Cromly says he will have ready in a week.

Lakima contacts Willy Brunch, the stone mason they used for a few projects. Lakima invites him over to the manor and asks him if he can construct a pair of archways out of the aetherium stones. Willy agrees and the two spend several days coming up with plans. Once they are ready, Lakima and Willy go over to the Mages Guild and set about installing an archway in one of the classrooms. Kenrae and Rune Frost arrive and ask many questions about what they are doing.

“I am building a permanent magical gateway between the school and the Shrine of Medamellara far to the north,” Lakima tells them.

“I have seen such things, but I have not heard of one being built in modern times,” Kenrae says, “Most were built in the distant past.”

“I am the most powerful mage in Dolmvay, and I plan to rediscover the secrets of the ancient magics,” Lakima states grandly.

A few days later, Lakima invites the other members of the Company of the Black Dragon to journey north with him to the Shrine of Medamellara. Aelshara is not around, but Brovin, Domago, Grasshopper, August, and Eathwund join him. They board the Cloudstealer with its crew and head north. A day and a half later they land in the Valley of Heroes not far from the entrance to the shrine.

Lakima points at the colorful statues outside the shrine’s entrance and tells Grasshopper that these are representations of his goddess Medamellara. Inside they meet with the high priest Toffin and Lakima shows Grasshopper the Mana Well.

Eathwund tells everyone that he has decided to risk recharging his plate mail armor in the well. Lakima tells Grasshopper that this is a rare event, and he will get to see the mana well in action. Eathwund holds his armor out into the Mana Well holds it there for a few moments and then withdraws it. Lakima comes over to check the armor, using his magical Lens. He tells Eathwund that it worked. The Armor is undamaged and has gained charges.

Lakima, Willy, and Toffin are joined by Lethnearinos (a silver dragon who is in elven form) to discuss where to place the teleportation arch in the Shrine. Toffin is at first concerned about the possibility of the shrine being attacked from the archway. Lakima assures him that the Mages School is very safe. They decide to construct the archway in a secret room in the study hall of the shrine. Willy spends a few days constructing the arch out of Aetherium stone. Once he is done, Lakima spends several days with the enchantment. Using knowledge from the notes of the forgotten mage of the Ghost Tower and his magic Lakima successfully readies the archway to receive magic. He casts a teleportation spell on the archway connecting it to the archway in Edgerton. But this is only a one-time spell. He then casts a limited wish spell to make it permanent.

The group watches as an image of the room in the mages' guild back in Edgerton appears in the archway.

“Did it work?” several voices ring out.

Confident in his own work Lakima steps through the archway and arrives unharmed in Edgerton. He then steps back through and looks about expecting applause. His companions seem more shocked than anything. 

“Well I am all for a quick way home,” Brovin says and steps through the archway to Edgerton. Grasshopper passes through the archway a short time later.

Lakima spends a few hours with Toffin discussing the safety of the archway. Toffin wants to construct a portcullis on this end but Lakima envisions students from the Mages Guild passing back and forth at will.

Once everything is cleaned up the remaining members of the group board Cloudstealer and return to Edgerton in a few days. While he is away a Ducal Messenger calls with a letter for Lakima. Refusing to relinquish the letter to anyone else, the messenger stays in a room in the Manor until the Cloudstealer returns. Meanwhile, Grasshopper goes to Cromly’s and picks up and pays for the magical brass knuckles.

“I call them Cromly’s Fists of Fury!” Cromly says with a flourish. “But you can call them whatever you wish.”

Grasshopper takes the knuckles and tries them out on some stone blocks from a local stone worker near the shop. He seems satisfied.

The next day the Cloudstealer returns to Edgerton. Lakima accepts the letter from the Ducal messenger. It is a letter from Duke Robert informing him that they will begin construction of the first of the four ships. The Helm should be provided (and will be paid for) in 3 months.

Lakima begins plans for the construction of four helms for the Duke’s flying ships. He feels confident that with the aetherium he does not need Malyn’s help but he decides to consult the mage anyway. Lakima asks Eathwund to join him on a trip to the apothecary. Once they arrive, they see that something is amiss. Watchmen stand outside the shop. They are let in and find more watchmen in the shop along with Abbot Marta and Brother Donegal of the Church of St. Cuthbert. Marta explains that Malyn and his latest apprentice are missing. They have been missing for a few days.

“Malyn is under a geas not to leave the town, I believe that if he did the effects would be pretty severe,” Marta says looking at Lakima.

“He will be feeling very sick already, and in a few days, he will die,” Lakima says.

“Someone took him,” they both say at the same time.

There are no clues to indicate what happened. No sign of a struggle. While Lakima and Marta are talking, Eathwund examines a beautiful green statuette of a dragon. The dragon winks at him.

“That green dragon whelp winked at me,” Eathwund whispers to Lakima.

Lakima then suggests that he is here only to pick up the green dragon statuette that Malyn was examining for him.

“He lies!” the statuette squeaks in a high-pitched voice, “My master Malyn would never give me to anyone else!”

There is a lot of shouting at once but eventually, Lakima manages to get everyone to quiet down so he can speak to the dragon. He learns that Malyn and his apprentice were abducted two days ago by three men in black robes. The men stuffed the two victims into a coffin they found in the abandoned church attached to the shop. The watchmen check up on the story and learn that a group of six men dressed as monks passed through the north gate with a cart and a large wooden box.

“Maybe we can head them off,” Lakima says.

The company is joined by Aelshara and they board the Cloudstealer and head north. They stop at the end of the day at the village of Deepford. Here they speak with the head Warden.

“I seen ‘em. They were a strange group. Very suspicious. They stayed at the Inn last night and claimed to be priests of St. Johan, but they never said a word to our local priest Hetagg. One of the boys heard them planning to head north to Darkvale abbey,” Warden Newman tells them.

They get directions to Darkvale Abbey only 20 miles north of the village. The Cloudstealer descends near to the ground a few hundred feet from the ruins of the small abbey. From what the villagers in Deepford told them, the abbey has been abandoned for eighty years.