Treacherous Spider Caves

[metagod]

((I dont remember the names of the pc's involved as this was a couple days ago and im Ignorant but post your side of the story here if you want some recognition rated pg-13 for mild language ))

Unexpected Death.

Just another day in Jiyyd, the locals try to get their harvests, randmom adventurers complaining about politics, crystals, plagues, whatever. I overhear something about a sorcerer falling near the Spider caves, normailly I could care less if someone falls, chances are they are doing something they shouldnt and paid the price, but I am always looking for new arcanists for the Keep and figure helping this one might get another student, I follow the "rescue party" out to the plains, the orcs dont bother me and I let the others kill the few that are scattered about.

We arrive at the mouth of the cave only to find the bag of the fallen Sorcerer, those with me start searching the area for the body, I sneak into the cave. The cave is dark, and although I carry no source of light I have no trouble seeing, the walls and floors are covered in webs and I can hear the scuttle of what I guess are spiders from all around, I swuint my eyes and peer into the depths at some movement, it doesnt take long for me to identify this breed of spider, also found in the woods near the old gypsy camp, very poisonous and all to often deadly, I dont see any corpses nearby so I assume it was carried off by the spiders to feed to their queen, the mere thought of that Qeen Orb

makes me shutter, i check my spell component pouches in case I have to face that bitch, Im relieved to find expensive diamond powder should the need come to use it, the spiders before me are weak, despite their deadly poison I charge into them with my axe cutting limb and torso, the barking spiders spit their noxius gas and the cave spiders sink their venemous fangs into my flesh, I feel the poison run through my veins it stings my nervous system and my mind wanders to the days i spent rotting in a vat of deadly toxic liquid, undergoing the physical and mental change which made me the creature I have become, the poison has become a part of me and no longer does it bother me, I shrug off the effect and split the face of the spider that bit me, by now the others have come in though they are too late to get in on the bloodbath, spider guts and limbs are scattered around the cave and I shake off the remaining vapors from the poisonous gas from my clothes and look to the others. The group could not find the corpse in the plains and so we decide to search the cave, deeper in the cave are more dangerous spiders, silk spinners and barking spiders among them, working together we make quick work of the vermin until we have searched the entire level of the cave, still no body, I scout the lower level to find that the spiders have become more numerous and more dangerous, half the party decides they will give up the search here, myself and a few others decide to continue, I take the diamond powder out of the pouch and set it where i can access it easier as a precaution, I have never been in these caves and I dont know what to expect.

This level provides a bit more resistance, i had prepared before hand for the worse and spared my spells for emergency only, the poison still does not bother me but a few of the others feel the effects of the deadly venom, clerics tend to the healing as necessary, we find a clearing and we all decide to rest. The area is mostly cleared out now and we move into a small hall which opens up into a huge cavern, the walls are covered in webs, and the floor is slick with blood, the room is dark and even my sensitive eyes have trouble piercing the darkness, the usualy bunch of spiders leap out at us and the group begins cutting them to pieces, im fighting soem spider when i glance briefly to my left and realise my worse fears, a spider ten times the size of any other a huge abdomen and fangs that put the sharpest blades to shame, its mere presence paralyzes anyone unfortunate enough to get close, I finish off the pest im dealing with and give myself some space between the beast, it is fighting our cleric, she is paralyzed and in a few quick bites of her venemous fangs she is dead, poison oozes out of her wounds, her face is blue and purple, veins filled with venom pop out and foam escapes her lips, the huge spider has chosen her next target, our scout, he realises the spiders potential and he flees, i have begun preparing to fight her, I have fought them before and I know how to beat them, but first I need to ensure my safety, Stoneskin, Ghostly visage, with these the spiders bites will hurt less, giving me at least a minute to survive, a minute in which to kill her, I begin casting Clarity when to my horror, the scout is on his last limb and he flees from the bitch which is right on his heels, and right past me, the scout escapes for now but the queen gets within ten feet of my location the words for my Clarity spell, which will make me immune to paralysis freeze at the tip of my tongue, the spuider ceases her chase of the fast food finding an easier meal. . me. The spider gets to work, bite after bite after bite, chipping away at the stoneskin, i feel the poison begin to slip into my veins, it stings and I feel like shit, not even my body can handle these vile toxins, after the stoneskin breaks off the venom quickly takes hold of my body and begins to dissolve my still living corpse from the inside, I pray inside my head that the paralysing effects will wear off long enough for me to get some distance, but no, i am held here and all I can do is watch the spider bite me and drink of the fluids of my dissolving body, a minute passes and I am dead.

The Fudge

I wake up in a desert, hot as hell and twice as dry, my fellows stand over me, one with a smirk the other looks fearful. I look around wondering what the fuck im doing here, surely my god will recieve me and I would not be here, something is not right, onyl 3 of us here, the scout must have escaped, or maybe he is dead and was taken into his gods arms, either way I have some communing to do, "He" must not want me yet and must have other plans, I excuse mysef and go find a quiet corner to pray. Not to long after do the others follow, I finish my prayer and stand up, it seems that "He" does not want me in his plane, "he" has other plans for me on Toril, my life is not over and I will be returning one way or another, I am determined to continue where I left off, everything is in the book still so should any of my memory slip from me on my raiseing I will be able to use the book to regain the missing secrets, someone else may posess the book now but there are only three people in the land who know how to open it, and two of them will be more inclined to kill anyone that posess the book that is not me.

The Story

Our cleric decides to tell us a story, about the hero Kanen Hightower, and one of the greater evils he has managed to destroy, the story is of how the Hero Kanen Hightower found a holy sword stuck into the dead corpse of some forgotten foe, the Hero did not realise at the time that the corpse was a Lich that had been killed but nto permanently, the Lich was able to regenerate and rise to power once again, Kanen was again able to kill the being but this time he left the sword embedded in the corpse to prevent his return, the corpse was then moved somewhere safe where the same mistake could be prevented from happening again.

I wonder to myself now, where this being is kept and what powers a sword has to prevent its regeneration, what would happen if something of equal power were to rise in Narfell and Kanen is not here to destroy it, what Paladin has a sword with the power to kill a creature? There is nothing in the Spellweavers Archives about the details of this, if it were to happen again Narfell would be defenceless, the only thing to do is to find out where this creature is being held and to do an on site study of the sword and the corpse, If i can determine the source of the swords power it might be possible to replicate such a weapon should the need for one come. I will begin the search to discover this, the Bards surely know, but Zyphlin is power hungry and will not likely be willing to cooperate with me, even if it means the safety of Narfell he will not help, i shall have to find other means as I am forced to do time and time again. . .