Adventurers
- Harlin Winklevos (Fighter 3)
- Henry (Cleric 4)
- Koko (Fighter 6)
- Mandras (Thief 5)
- Simon (Elf 3)
Reluctant to submit themselves to the scrutiny of the various bastions of civilisation in Averoigne, the party camped in the wilds while they skirted around the great forest until they found their familiar path in, stopping only to exchange wary pleasantries with a wild-haired woman watching the town of Perigon across the river from which a green column of smoke rose. She commented that it was a sign that the townsfolk were burning the corpse of a magical beast of some kind. Wary of giving away too much about themselves, the adventurers made their excuses and continued on into the forest.
The reception they got from the Tower of Sylaire was frostier than they’d hoped for; the elves had noticed the newly, quickly growing desert spreading out from the Sunken Temple. The party reported that they’d seen it too, hoping to hide the fact that it was one of their magical shields which had caused this ecological disaster. The elves appeared less than sure as to their innocence but in any case, what with this coming on top of the chaotic magical deluge from the Catastrophe a decade ago, their own magics were facing difficulties and so could only offer one of the three reincarnation spells the party needed.
If, however, the party were to go to a spider cave and collect a supply of magical webs from a nest of arcane arachnids (as well as the presumed bodies of an expedition of elves the tower had already sent weeks ago), then the elves would be able and willing to cast more reincarnations, though their power would not be as great as it had been when they first reincarnated Koko and Konrad. The adventurers agreed and, with lots cast, Mandras was selected for a new lease of life. When the fallen dwarven warrior opened his eyes again, he found himself distinctly taller and scrawnier. Evidently a future in the shadows beckoned.
Horses laden with slates upon which to delicately transfer the arcane webs, and an extensive demonstration on how to do so, the party followed the directions to the cave entrance: a hole peeking through the routes of a large, purple tree. Trying their best to avoid the copious webbing around the tunnel, the adventurers left their mercenary force and most of their retainers up top with the slates ready before heading down.
The tunnel soon dropped away into the pitch black with a silk rope dangling down into the depths. Activating the Sword of Sylaire, Koko floated down, finding a dead elf encased in webbing dangling at the end of the rope and several points at which the chute lead off, as well as further blackness in the depths below. Following some gently flickering lights he found a cavern floored with dry foliage and, more shinily, glowing webs. He spiked some rope so that the rest of the party could carefully clamber down after him, and before an ending fly spell left him stranded.
As they explored the area, the leaf-covered ground fell away beneath the cleric-turned-fighter, and Koko found himself dangling in a web net while an unpleasantly spider-like biped lurched to lunch on him. He fought to hack his way free while Harlin and Hats leapt down to tear the beast off him and skewer it.
The pit into which he’d fallen had a little tunnel, from which the creature had presumably come, and the party warily joined the trio down below and they edged further into the depths.