Meeting the Spider Report

General Summary

After a nice night at the boarding house of Maevmera Bloodkith the Scuffling Partizans decide to find out more about Glowstone and its mining operations. Mara suggests they go and talk to professor Mahmud Razid. He should be at the Office of Holy Research. The Partizans set off and without too much time and trouble find their way to the building that the professor should be in. The university styled Office of Holy Research is a beautiful example of dwarven stonework, with the moorish design The Derkon are famous for. Marble floors with intricate patterns of mosaics. Walls of white stone with similar intricate patterning cut into it in stunningly fine detail. High ceilings hung with chandeliers of mountain crystal and heavy columns supporting the floors above. Clean, organized, and smashingly beautiful. A heavy desk of shimmering marble sits in the middle of the entry hall of the office. Here the Partizans ask to see the professor. A student named Ali Masrawi ends up leading the way up the wide and impressive stairways leading to the upper floors. At the office of Professor Razid the Partizans discover that, counter to what they expected, he knows nothing about any The Black Robes. His work is mainly scientific and aimed at geology and the arcane. He does not involve himself in dealings with foreign groups or any such diplomacy or politics. What he can do is show them why Glowstone is so interesting to many. The professor takes a tiny pinch of the stuff and asks the group to cast a damaging cantrip on it. The result astonishes the Partizans as a loud and destructive blast thunders forth. The professor explains that it is clear that the glowstone increases the magical properties of spells. The details of this process, the extremes it can get to, or the uses that it may provide are still being researched but it seems the possibilities are limited only by the spellcasting ability of the end user. The Partizans wonder why something this dangerous would not simply be left at peace. The professor, lacking the interest to go into moral and philosophical implications, merely observes that humanoids have always been interested in new and improved weapons of war. To him it is merely interesting on a scientific level. But seeing as how his people have had to defend against attacks both from the surface as from the depths below for as long as their history recalls, it should not surprise anyone that the glowstone is mined on an industrious scale. Whether this also serves to gain profit on the selling of the ore to others, again is beyond he scope of the professor's interests and pay grade. The Partizans, a little annoyed that they have not yet found a connection to the Black Robes, decide to go in search of the mines themselves, to see if they find out more over there. So they leave the professor and his research, and head of in the direction they are pointed in to find the mines. On the way there, walking through one of the many tunnels that this area is famous for, they are surprised by the crashing through a wall of a hunting party of driders. A battle ensues, and after a hard fight the partizans manage to finally defeat their foes. One of the driders is forced to surrender and the partizans proceed to interrogate him. It turns out the drider is named Thurkash and, contrary to what the Partizans suspect, was not looking to find them. He had only planned to make a raid on the dwarven tunnels as his kind often does. Had he known that he would find some seasoned adventurers rather than mere dwarven miners, he would have decided against this particular raid and moved on in silence. Thurkash then proceeds to explain some basic information on his kind and their relationship with the Drow. When the Partizans try to force him to take them to the Drow areas, he seems more afraid of what might happen to him there, than of whatever terrible things the Partizans might do to him for not cooperating. In the end the Partizans decide to proceed and travel on to the mines, setting the drider free with the warning not to return here again. Arriving at the mining site, the Partizans decide to sneak in, so as to make sure to see for themselves whether there are any Black Robes and dealings with them by the Derkon. As they try to move forward unseen, the clanky armored figures of Randy Jones and Bilbo Barbarian make it hard to move stealthily, and put the group on high alert. As soon as they see a guard walking further down a corridor, Razyle doesn't hesitate and fires a shot to take him out before he is able to raise the alarm. As she misses her shot however, this plan backfires and immediately and the group sets off quickly rounding a corner. They find a cul-de-sac where Scaramouche Fan'dango makes the illusion of a wall, hoping to hide them until things quiet down once more. The guards, more familiar with this area than the Partizans soon see through the illusion and it appears the group is bound to be forced to choose between fighting or surrendering. At that precise moment, as Bilbo is trying to break through the wall at the end of their hiding spot, a voice from beyond the wall is urging them to follow him. Two other dwarves, clothed as monks lead the Partizans through the many winding tunnels to a hidden alcove, behind yet another illusory wall. Here the group has a chance to get to their senses and properly investigate their unlikely saviors. As it turns out they are the same that characters that helped them out in Thundertree and that the group met as drow in Wave Echo Cave. The servants of the Black Spider explain that their master sent them to help out. He really wants to have a talk with them, but first they need to get rid of Razyle's necklace. With some surprise to the rest of the group, it is revealed that this necklace, that Razyle was forced to wear by Alexander Inquisitorius is in fact a method of spying on the group, being capable either of sending through sound or images, as the caster on the other hand chooses. The Black Spider did not want all the information about the dwarven mines, their defenses and tactics, and more such things would be known by the nastier council members of Neverwinter as well as if they themselves had been walking these areas. Once the party realizes how terribly dangerous this necklace has been and is, they magically transport it into solid stone. Once safe from prying eyes, the drow helpers of the Black Spider teleport them to the Spider's office in the Underdark. The Partizans arrive in a teleportation circle amidst guards on alert. The building is utterly beautiful. It is obviously reminiscent of elven architecture, but with a clear darker twist. Where the buildings of surface dwelling elves are open, spacious, light and bright, these are closed, protected and cavernous. Sure, one cannot ignore the fact that the wide rooms and high ceilings, lined with marble and gemstones are luxurious and marvelous. But the marble is dark grey to black and the niches and corridors are full of shadow. Everywhere there is the cool dry atmosphere that defines the underground world. And where there are large windows allowing for light to enter and for amazing views on the natural beauty outside in the elven buildings on the surface, here there are slits, portholes, mesh and bars, providing little more than a guarded glance on the threats outside, safely protected by iron and stone, and allowing for shots to be fired from partial cover. Still, with a myriad of braziers regularly interspaced in the many halls, the light of which is reflected in millions of tiny crystals in the marble, and the warmth of which is caught and held by heavy rugs of soft and furry quality, there is a measure of homeliness that this place exudes, which must seem welcoming to these dark elves that call these dark depths home. The Partizans are led into a conference room with a T-shape to it. The crossbar is long and wide and sports a large rectangular table. The leg on the other hand is much smaller and designed as a small study with a throne in the center. It connects to the larger room by a portcullis with a balcony over the top. Both left and right from the entrance of the conference room, as along the balcony are a dozen or so guards watching the adventurers enter. On of the guards at the door requests the group to surrender their weaponry, which he places in a chest present for that purpose. Only after they have been disarmed, seated at the table and treated to refreshments, does the Black Spider, or Nezznar Iathrana appear out of thin air, lounging on is throne. Nezznar explains to the party that, although he originally only considered them a nuisance to be killed, he has become intrigued by them over them and now considers them to have their own use in the affairs of the world. He allows for a thorough scrutiny of his true feelings and honest feelings, and is open and courteous. He explains both he and the partizans have their own reasons to distrust the Colonian political leadership, and that under the present situation of larger threats looming overhead, they agree on a ceasefire and possibly a measure of cooperation. Asked so by the Partizans he agrees to stop spying on them, but he does offer his help whenever they might need it. Apart from all that he merely wants the adventurers to go on making and executing their own plans, for they seem to be advantageous to his own. Since he does not want to Colonian government to get their hands on this hand-of-god artifact they are seeking. Or any other glowstone powered new weaponry for that matter. Still not trusting, much like liking the Spider, Randy tells him quite clearly that he may agree to halt his aggression, but has no intention to go back on his word that he will eventually kill this drow general. Nezznar simply responds to this with patience, saying he understands Randy's feelings and stresses that they are by no means friends. They only find themselves seeking the same goals at this moment. As far as new information is concerned, that Nezznar supplies the partizans with, he explains he has his spies in Inquisitorius' organization, that informed him of the necklace. Furthermore he tells them that it was Colonia who started the fight in the first place, something that motivates Scaramouche Fan'dango to recall some details of the Great War between Colonia and the Drow. It appears there really is history describing the first hostilities between these foes to have been a preemptive strike by Colonia. As to the question of Randy what the Spider knows about the religious interests of the Black Robes in this conflict, the truth to the existence of The Hand-of-God artifact, and the return of someone called Eru, the drow general answers that he is not that learned in religion, and his spies can give him only so much information. If the Partizans want to find out more details about such matters they had better talk to some priest or other character they might know, who is in closer connection to the gods. After the meeting with the Black Spider is done, the Partizans decide they need to warn a good number of people about the implications of having been spied upon for such a long time, through the necklace of Razyle. They warn Cristardo that his being alive is no longer a secret. Then they teleport to Daran Edermath because the enemy probably knows the Jones' family is hiding in his orchard. Daran realizing this means they need allies that are not yet compromised, suggests talking to Halia Thornton. She is more than willing to help her old friends and promises to smuggle the family away to safety.

Campaign

Colonia's Hegemony

Protagonists