Session 25 – The Spider’s Trap

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

The two residents appear to be distraught at what has taken place in the other chamber. Enkidu calls his brother’s name. The younger half-orc looks up, and his jaw drops. He stands speechless as tears well up in his eyes. Enkidu emerges from the loft and throws his arms around his brother, who reciprocates, and begins to sob. He thought Enkidu had perished, and never expected to see him again. The family reunion is rudely interrupted by the orc female, who demands to know who the intruders are, and threatens to call the Auxiliaries to have them removed by force. Enkidu explains that they have come to free his brother from captivity, and just then becomes aware of the web tattoo over his brother’s right eye. The female, whose name is Ragash, confirms that Agni is in fact held at the temple by the tattoo, which the Guardians have placed on him. Speaking to Enkidu and Theobald in orcish, the two of them reveal that Agni is the temple assistant. Looking at his brother, Enkidu concludes that even though he has grown in the many years since their separation, his form remains slight for an orc, especially in the upper body area.
As the conversation proceeds, Ragash appears to relax somewhat. Her tension is accounted for by not only by the presence of strangers who don’t belong there, but also by the birth that has just taken place. Apparently, her young charge has just given birth to a part-mongrel as a result of illicit sexual contact, and now the polluting the infant must be disposed of, a duty Agni cannot perform, and she has little taste for. Though she seems to be a little more understanding of the party’s predicament – they came here to free Agni, which they cannot do, and they cannot leave until the morning (?) of the following day – she is nervous about running afoul of the authorities. In exchange for a promise of dealing with the unwanted baby, she offers the adobe of her cousin Gruu, who is off on some mining expedition. The adobe is practically next door, and the party can hide out there and rest, and then return to spend time with Agni once Ragash comes to fetch them.
Under Ragash’s watchful eye, the four proceed down the avenue to Gruu’s fenced adobe. It appears to be currently devoid of occupants, and lightly furnished. The group unloads and inspects the premises as Glitterstem watches the street. Suddenly, the logs (?) in the fireplace flare up, and a person appears seated in a wicker chair next to it. He is obviously elven, but dark-haired, with reddish-copper skin, an aquiline nose and slant eyes. He is dressed in brightly colored silks, and wears a red-orange feathered (?) headdress, holds an ornate wand of the red-gold metal the party has already seen in the Underdark, and wears a necklace and a diadem made of the same material. Before he introduces himself, he remarks that it took the party long enough to arrive, and that he almost despaired of them ever appearing. He then names himself, in Common, as Clofoel Lhingril. While the first name is completely unfamiliar to Miletus, the second is obviously the elvish word for “spider”. Lhingril explains that the first name is actually an official title, and that he serves as “Clofoel of the World”, who is charged with interfacing with all those who hail from outside Xibalba. He appears to be familiar with all the members of the party.
In the ensuing conversation, it becomes clear that Lhingril has been expecting the party for a long time, possibly since their setting out from Neverwinter to Claymore several months ago. He has kept track of the group somehow, possibly by means of Enkidu’s lock of hair, and his framed picture, both of which he keeps on his person, and possibly by means of various communications with outside agents, apparently including Esteleth and Elias Amando. It is likely that he has been interested in them even longer: he says that the party’s coming together was “no accident”, he purchased Agni form the Dire Wolf goblins shortly after they raided the Black Spear village where he grew up, and he is also well aware of Theodoric, who was also held captive in Xibalba until his escape several decades (?) ago.
Lhingril’s main interest at the moment is Enkidu. He would like the half-orc to join the Brotherhood of Baghtru, to prove himself to them, but for the purpose of ultimately taking them over and removing their current leader, a certain Humbaba. When party members inquire as to his reasons for wanting this, he explains that he wants to end the colonization of Gethen by humans from Erya, and believes that the Brotherhood is the only effective force for doing so at present (the goblins having proved completely feckless). He reveals, moreover, that Gethen is in reality the supposedly sunken continent of Aman, the ancestral home of all elves. A cataclysmic battle between his people and what became the high, grey (or moon) and wood elves took place here three thousand years ago, as a result of which, the land was broken, his people were driven underground, and the other elves escaped by ship to Erya – their new home. The strange hybrid and mutant creatures that the party has encountered – owlbears, regenerating trolls, wolf-spiders, and the rest, are all products of the cataclysm. The drow elves were able to survive thanks to Cemya – the Ring of Earth, that originally belonged to their goddess, and was subsequently passed down to her high priestess(es?). The ring created Xibalba and the environment the adventurers see all around them, and, in his telling, the drow then helped other creatures to survive, eventually uplifted them, and allowed most to return to the surface. As for the other elves – “Miletus’ people” - they apparently knew that the destruction of Aman was not complete, but they told the humans they ruled over that it had sunk primarily because they feared humans would discover the old continent, find the ring, the Fountain of Youth, and recover the vast knowledge possessed by the drow. They would then use all of these to end the paramountcy of the elves, and take power for themselves. The elves also feared that the rediscovery of their once-vanquished kin would reignite the old conflict, and by dividing the elves, bring them closer to their demise. For Lhingril, the whole world would be set on the verge of destruction, as all four elven rings would be put in play in the coming war (the other three rings – of air, fire, and water, are possessed by the Erlkönig, the Aranel, and the Sybil, respectively). For this reason, the Old World elves erected some sort of (likely magical) barrier to keep any mariners from discovering Aman. But eventually, those barriers were somehow circumvented by Theodoric, who found Aman (apparently before its officially recorded discovery date), and then sent word back with his surviving crew to human kings, even as he remained behind to explore the land. Lhingril allows, or even suspects that powerful elves may have had a hand in the discovery.
For the time being, he sees the humans as his people’s main enemy. He describes them as power-hungry, insensitive to history, other races, and to the imperative to maintain balance. On the whole, to him, they are exemplified by Theodoric, famous for sacrificing large numbers of people to achieve his aims. When Theobald interjects that his ancestor is in fact a poor representative of humans generally, and that humans are too fractious to effect the conquest of Aman, Lhingril points to what they have already accomplished in a mere twenty years despite their divisions. When Theobald suggests that the humans are simply too numerous and powerful to find the Brotherhood as an impediment to expansion, and that an active attempt to push the colonists into the sea will merely result in the destruction of all creatures that support the Brotherhood, Lhingril allows that it is a risky undertaking, but necessary, as the masses of humans, like the Harpers in Claymore, thirst to expand, and that it is becoming impossible to hold them back. In any event, the other elves, led by the White Hand in their colony of Avandra, secretly support the Brotherhood, will arm it with iron weapons if necessary, and thereby, will deflect attention from the drow, who wish to remain secret from the colonists while it is still possible. Moreover, he believes that with the right recruitment campaign, other creatures will join or aid the Brotherhood, and here, he thinks the party members can play a key role. If the White Hand manages to tie down human forces back in Erya, and to keep more humans from arriving, his people will take care of matters here in Aman.
Lhingril’s doubts are for the most part directed at the Old World elves, with whom his people are precariously allied. While they share an interest in checking human expansion, Lhingril neither entirely trusts his partners (on account of old grievances, perhaps), nor does he find their support of the cause sufficiently effective. Aside from raising questions about possible elven involvement in the rediscovery of Aman, he does not believe their aid to the Brotherhood is decisive, and he thinks their selection of Humbaba as a client leaves a lot to be desired (he cites the party’s experience with the Brotherhood thus far in his support). He makes fairly clear that he would like to see Humbaba removed at some point in the future. He also appears to voice little objection to the removal of his White Hand advisors, among whom, he reveals, is Elias Amando.
In the course of the conversation, Lhingril addresses several questions posed by Glitterstem. He does not know who the woman in his vision was (and claims no responsibility for the vision itself), but Glitterstem’s description of the woman and her ring suggests that she was the drow priestess, and probably not the Sybil (whom, like Glitterstem, he also does not trust). The priestess herself seems, in his telling, to be deceased, or in some sort of stasis, but the horse-pelican blood is precisely for the purposes of awakening her. The whereabouts of the ring, which is lost, he does not know, but he knows that Theodoric has gone further inland to look for it (there are rumors that he built a fort somewhere after his escape). He is also not aware of the activities of the Waywanderers in Aman/Gethen. However, in response to Glitterstem’s tale of his quest to save his people and resettle them in the New World, he tells him that post-cataclysmic Aman is no place for them, and promises to show him why. Instead, he suggests that his efforts are better directed toward saving his people’s livelihood back in Erya, just as Lhingril is doing here.
The decision of what to do hinges on Enkidu. Despite his earlier troubles with the Brotherhood, Lhingril discloses that his leadership, for which the rangers trained him for many years, will be acceptable because he is in fact the son of its erstwhile leader, Tigal. Enkidu’s and Agni’s mother was found on the outskirts of the Black Spear encampment, bloody, and already impregnated by Tigal. The chieftain took the woman as his own, and when the baby (Enkidu) was born, he adopted him as his son. When Enkidu asks Lhingril how he knows this, he says that he was told the story by Enkidu’s mother, who lives in Xibalba among the weavers, and who until recently worked in the workshop near the spider pasture. She also gave Lhingril the lock of Enkidu’s hair.
The deal between Lhingril and the party is struck. To join the Brotherhood, in order to later take it over, Enkidu demands that his brother and mother be released, and that his personal items – the lock of hair and the portrait, be returned to him. Lhingril agrees, and turns over the objects forthwith. Before making the agreement formal, the elf asks what the other party members wish in exchange for supporting their comrade. Miletus asks only for a strong (or unbreakable) bowstring to replace his fragile one, and Lhingril promises to find something fitting the description. Glitterstem asks for a multitude of useful healing, climbing, and other mushrooms, and also for an explanation of the ancient war and its impact. Lhingril promises the gnome an explanatory tour, though he warns the adventurers to remain indoors until called, because their presence in the city is a secret. Theobald, citing the human proclivity to seek power, asks for magical scrolls from the drow libraries, which Lhingril promises to deliver. He also promises aid for seeking out Theobald, and perhaps other endeavors, after the initial goal with the Brotherhood has been accomplished. Lastly, he agrees to release two sacks of maize flour for the mongrelfolk from the Guardians’ stores. He then asks Enkidu to swear on his genitalia, invoking the names of Baghtru, Luthic, and Lolth (his deity) to uphold his end of the bargain. As he finishes his recitation, there he feels pressure from below. Subsequently, he finds a spider tattoo on his scrotum. The agreement finalized, Lhingril takes his leave, promising the delivery of the objects requested “in the evening”.
The party rests in Gruu’s adobe for the next several hours. Eventually, Ragash knocks on the door, and asks the party to return to the temple. Here, the party receives nourishment. The baby has been cleaned up, and its mother has been moved somewhere. Agni catches up with Enkidu, asking of his exploits since his disappearance, and inquiring into whether his older brother is married. For his part, he says he was brought in as the acolyte of Luthic as a child, and has studied with Ragash to become a healer and midwife ever since. He does not get to leave the temple, but has numerous visitors, including his mother, and various elves, including Lhingril. The latter provides him with additional instruction, and is apparently his sometime lover (Agni identifies himself as a berdache, and says he will never marry, either). He concedes that his life in the temple has its drawbacks, but says he has learned a great deal, and appreciates his calling.
In another few hours, an orcish deliveryman arrives, carrying a crate of objects from Lhingril. Inside is a silken cord (apparently a bowstring), five flasks of oil, 2 sacks of flour, 10 mushrooms (six healing, three climbing, and an unidentified green one), and four scroll cases. He also asks Glitterstem, using simple words and gestures, if he is ready for a walking tour. The gnome turns himself into a mouse, and climbs into the orc’s pocket. The orc takes him into the crystalworkers’ district, where Glitterstem observes scenes of Deep Goblins going to work, and working on crystals which function as lights in Xibalba. Curiously, the Deep Goblins – creatures about three and a half feet tall, bald, with big, bulbous noses, speak in a language that has a vocabulary that is roughly 50 percent comprehensible, to Glitterstem. He seems to get the message (whatever it is), and the orc returns him back to the Temple of Luthic. Outside, the working day seems to be coming to a close, and the neighborhood orcs gather outside with drinks, singing rousing verses of “I fought the drow and the drow won”.

Report Date

26 Feb 2016