Loose threads Drider released from crystal prison, Stray Amoeba
Participants Doctor B Gnaws Akhelios Mildspire Darrel Haul Hakuto Lenny
Locations Spider nest in the vicinity of Watcher's Tribe Mines
Short summary:
Our party of five, Doctor B Gnaws Akhelios Mildspire Darrel Haul Hakuto Lenny , moved out of First Landing and ventured north, towards Watcher's Tribe's Mines.
During one of the nights, we were approached by a creature Hakuto recognized as Amoeba, an acidic ooze-like creature known to travel in groups. While concerned where that one might have come from, we decided to continue north, collecting samples of the corpse and report it once we come back to First Landing.
Once we reached mountains, Lenny noticed that a goat was trying to ram its way into the rock. After calming the beast down, we walked through a natural entrance, where we found a Giant Spider nest. Hakuto attempted to talk the spiders down and gather information from them, but having failed to inform us of this skill, we walked in behind them, which caused the spiders to turn hostile. Once the spiders were dispatched, we found still alive kobold, whom we brought out of the nest and nurtured back to health.
In the morning, we were approached by numerous kobolds, presumably miners from the The Watchers' Tribe. With difficulty caused by lack of draconic-speaking member, we still managed to learn that they were driven out of the mines by something, and they had given us directions how to reach it. We followed their instructions and walked down into the caves once again, where a river of insects was flowing towards a chamber where we found a Drider imprisoned in crystal. Few kobolds were chipping away at it, trying to free it, while an Ettercap, with swarms of spiders at its command, was guarding them.
Decision to focus on dealing with Ettercap might not have been the best one - while we were busy killing it, kobolds freed the Drider from its prison, and the creature attacked us, creating magical Darkness, and we were forced retreat.
Full Report
Our group of 5 adventurers: Doctor B Gnaws, Akhelios Mildspire, Darrel Haul, Lenny and Hakuto, left First Landing and ventured towards Watchers' Tribe Village's Mines, where we were told unexplored tunnels have been discovered.
On the way there, one night, we were met with a stray creature, that Hakuto recognized as Amoeba. Because they are known to travel in groups, Hakuto searched for more of them while the creature was being distracted by Doctor. Having found none, Hakuto finished that one off, and we went back to sleep. In the morning, Hakuto decided to collect what was left of the acidic corpse into two vials.
Further north, when we were close to reaching the Mines, Lenny noticed strange knocking, which was being made by a mountain goat ramming the side of the mountain without rest, despite being on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. It appeared to have been some sort of unnatural influence, possibly of magical origin. Soon joined by the rest of us, while Hakuto was taking care of the beast, we discovered a crack in the wall, one that lead to a web-filled cave. When Doctor, who entered through the crack and discovered the webs, he quickly went back and explained what he found. Upon hearing that, Hakuto immediately went in, saying only that we should trust them.Inside, Hakuto, who, unbeknownst to us at the time, is capable of speaking in the tongue of the spiders, tried to learn what entity might have been causing the goat to behave in such a way. Giant spiders, however, were unable and unwilling to talk about that, even after Hakuto reavealed themself to be a spider as well. The fact we, worried about Hakuto's safety, rushed in soon after, wasn't helpful either. The same influence that affected the goat, now affected us, causing the spiders to attack.
A combat with the spiders ensued and quickly finished, thanks to Akhelios' masterful combat abilities. After that, we learned of Hakuto's identity. We also moved little deeper into the mountain, and discovered a number of cocoons, one of which contained still alive kobold. Panicked as that kobold was after a brush with death, Darrel was able to calm them down. Deciding to call it a day, we left the nest and decided to rest for the night, tending to the kobold's wounds.
In the early morning, during Doctor's watch, we were approached by a group of kobolds, presumably tribesmen of the one we rescued previous day. Likely miners of the Tribe. With some difficulty, given none of us could speak draconic, Lenny, using food rations and water as offerings, was able to establish friendly relations and crudely communicate with them using gestures, while Hakuto assisted with interpreting and making drawings that represented what we have seen happen inside the mountain.
From what little we could understand, the kobolds were driven out of the mines. The had also given us directions how to reach a chamber, in which whatever the thing that could exact its control over the minds, resided.
Following the slippery path downwards, the we reached crossroads, where a river of small insects and arachnoids was 'flowing' in one direction. Ruckus made by Darrel who slipped on the way down alerted the vermin, which tried to engulf the party, but were too scared of the burning torches. Huddling closely together, we followed the direction the vermin were moving in previously, eventually reaching aforementioned chamber. Inside, a group of kobold miners equipped with pickaxes, were hammering at the crystal in which a creature known as Drider was imprisoned. The kobolds were also guarded by what is commonly known as Ettercap and swarms of spiders.
We decided to focus on the Ettercap, which turns out might have been a mistake. While we were busy killing the aberration, kobolds managed to free the Drider from the prison, and the creature, using its spellcasting abilities, engulfed the room in magical Darkness. With little to no way to combat the darkness, and after taking some heavy hits from the creature, we were forced to retreat using our Recallers.