The Arachne’s Descent
Event by DM Faith
The Gathering at the Old Shrine
The mission began at an ancient forest shrine, where a disparate group assembled to track a threat that had claimed the life of a fellow ranger. The party consisted of a vanguard of elves - Traum, Yuri, Natariel, and Mendel - supported by Sane (Human Druid), Larael (Half-Elf Sorceress), and three followers of Eilistrae: Alva’Sunn, Lomith, and Mitheera. One member departed just as the march began, leaving the group to move forward with a silent, focused resolve.
Encounters on the Trail
The patrol first moved through a forest clearing where they were intercepted by a band of barbarians. The skirmish was brief, but it served as a prelude to more complex movements. Shortly after, a second elven patrol was spotted approaching. To avoid a confrontation and keep the Eilistraeen priestesses unseen, the group split their efforts: Larael used her magic to turn herself and the sisters ethereal, while the elven leads intercepted the patrol.
After a tense exchange, the patrol provided coordinates to the caves and departed toward the South. However, despite their apparent exit, the group remained wary; in the deep woods, the line between "gone" and "hidden" is notoriously thin.
The Massacre at the Camp
Before reaching the objective, the party discovered the remains of an orcish camp. The scene was one of total slaughter, yet the evidence suggested it was not the work of elves, orcs, or any known predator of the forest. The kills were roughly a tenday old, pointing toward an invasive and highly lethal presence that left the group questioning if they were walking directly into a trap.
The Descent into the Caves
Inside the cavern system, the atmosphere grew heavy. The group navigated narrow passages, passing massive, strange mushrooms that briefly distracted the druid, Sane, before stumbling upon a horrific sight: a mound of half-eaten orcs. As the party approached, the corpses began to rise. It was not traditional undeath, but a parasitic infestation; swarms of spiders had burrowed into the bodies, animating them as macabre puppets.
The Arrival of the Cleric and the Solars
A drow cleric of Lolth soon emerged to lead the assault. As the group struggled against the overwhelming damage of the swarms and the priestess’s magic, the tide turned through a remarkable display of faith. Both Natariel and the drow priestess Mitheera successfully summoned Solars to the field. The divine healing from these celestial beings rejuvenated the party, providing a rare and powerful image of a drow calling upon the light of the Seldarine to combat ancient evil.
The Breach and the Flight
The situation reached a breaking point when the Lolthite cleric began a dark, rhythmic incantation in an unfamiliar tongue. In that moment, it felt as though time itself had frozen, leaving the group with a harrowing choice: fight or flight. Despite the dire odds, every member of the party stood their ground, refusing to retreat even as the floor beneath them began to crumble under the weight of the spell. In a final act of self-sacrifice, Mitheera threw Larael to safety just as the ground gave way. Below, a massive, green-shining spider-demon hovered in the darkness; the priestess landed upon it and vanished into the depths.
Conclusion: A Chilling Revelation
The group was ultimately spared by Traum’s quick thinking, using a gaseous cloud to lead the survivors back to the safety. If the group survived, they owed to the Spirit Shaman. While the fallen ranger was not avenged, the party returned with the heavy knowledge that they were now dealing with an Arachne - a warped and formidable threat to the forest.For Mendel, the mission provided a profound vantage point into the hearts of the sisters of the Dark Maiden; witnessing their bravery, loyalty, and battle prowess firsthand, served as absolute proof that goodness can be found in any race, even among the drow.
