The Spider's Maw is one of the most feared places within The Shadowfell, its very name whispered in dread across the City of Evernight. Located eastward of the city, this terrifying labyrinth of towering stalagmites rises from the ground like the many fangs of a massive spider. These natural stone formations are covered in thick, sticky spider webs, giving the area an eerie and desolate appearance. In the heart of this twisted landscape lies a great, dark cavern that leads into the labyrinthine depths of the Spider's Maw—home to some of the most dangerous creatures in the Shadowfell.
The webs, like great blankets, ensnare any creature unfortunate enough to wander too close. Those who venture within these cobwebbed catacombs are almost never seen again. The Order of The Twin Moon often sends heretics, blasphemers, and dissidents into the maw as a form of punishment, while the Gloomguard send victims for the sheer sadistic pleasure of watching them vanish into the nest of horrors.
Deep within the Spider's Maw, lies the spider hive, a vast labyrinth and breeding ground for the enormous arachnids that dwell there. At the heart of the hive is the matriarch, Sizira, the Thousand-Eye, an ancient and monstrously large arachnid abomination. Sizira is feared throughout the region for her cunning and cruelty, and her thousands of eyes are said to be able to see into the deepest shadows of the Shadowfell. She rules over the hive with absolute authority, birthing countless legions of spiders that terrorize the surrounding lands.
Within the center of this sprawling webbed lair are mounds of spider eggs, carefully protected by Sizira’s offspring, waiting to hatch. The unfortunate souls trapped in the Maw are often left paralyzed, encased in webbing, and slowly digested to feed the hive’s expansion. Legends say that Sizira herself can commune with the Night Mother Nyx, offering her prey’s life force in exchange for favor and power.
For the people of Evernight, the Spider's Maw stands as a reminder of the cruelty and terror that lurks within the Shadowfell. Crossing paths with Sizira’s domain means only one thing—an agonizing and slow demise, wrapped in the webs of the Maw, never to escape.