Pest Control, Part 1
General Summary
Belron received a letter of request from the king of Arbour, Just Raffyr, to investigate the complaints of some citizens in Drake's Harbour. It seems that many citizens have reported both sightings of giant spiders and missing family members. Drawing himself out of his cozy nest in the abandoned garden center in Xiomara, Belron sought Ashe and Raffyr (who was suddenly available now) to attend him on this investigation.
Arriving in Drake's Harbour they were able to speak to an old farming couple who updated the adventurers on what has been happening in town. In dark of night, giant spiderlike creatures, with the heads of elves, were stealing men from town. The farmers ifnromed the party that these creatures had always been seen coming from south east along the river. The three adventurers decided there was no better place to start their investigation than the river. Belron gave the couple enough gold for several nights in the local inn and told them to stay inside and safe (and out of the way). To the river they headed...except Belron who couldn't just walk by a pen of sheep on the farm. He detoured slightly to open the pen, destroy the lock, and release the sheep into the wild to live our their days as nature intended. This prompted a lengthy discussion on the the philosophy of man vs. nature between Belron and Raffyr, the two of them not quite seeing eye to eye, despite both being faithful servants of the Forest Queen herself. (Meanwhile, in the background, Ashe quietly corralled the sheep back into the pen and mended the gate).
Setting off along the river it wasn't very long before the party spotted an odd sight on the ground, under a nearby bush. A blight of some sort had infected the ground. None of them had every encountered anything like this before. Raffyr, ever brave and just, decided it was his duty to touch the strange blight and trigger any affects. A casting of protection against evil, by Ashe, saved him from harm as the strange blight was decidedly evil. Belron burrowed underground to attempt to find the roots of this "thing" but only discovered that the roots were deeper than he expected and that they traveled south east along the river in the direction they were already headed. Not really knowing how details connected, the party continued following the river finding even more of this strange blight, until the sound of a bugle range wide and into the ears of Belron and Raffyr. Knowing instintively that it was the Herald of Mielikki both of her worshippers hightailed it over, at high speed, dragging Ashe along with them. The Herald of Mielikki informed Belron and Raffyr (though sadly Raffyr could not understand his words) that an evil had begun corrupting The Verdant Expanse and charged them both to find it and eradicate it. Both Belron and Raffyr fell over themselves in fervant desire to heed the herald's words and vowed that this would be done. The herald instructed them to head directly east from their current location and they should find the source. Sure enough, as the party traveled east, they continued to see this strange blight grow and overtake more and more of The Verdant Expanse. From off in the distance they noticed spiderlike creatures and knew it was time. Once close enough these creatures were revealed to be Driders, evil monstrosities of Lolth's punishment. They were dragging kidnapped elves along behind them. The adventurers made quick work of the Driders. The kidnapped elves, unfortunately, becoming collateral damage. Filled with an ever growing rage, Belron spurred the party onward until they came to an almost larger than life ant hill in the plains of The Verdant Expanse. Guarded fiercely by more Driders and Goliath Spiders the party was challenged. Belron instintively stopped any Driders from reporting back inside the mound, leaving Raffyr and Ashe to fight off the Goliath Spiders. The adventurers survived the fight but not without significant trample damage from the colossal sized spiders. Out of the goodness of his heart, Just Raffyr chanced friendship with one of the Driders, and won out. While fleeing for his life across the plains, the Drider informed the party on what they would find if they entered the ant hill - a thriving city of Drow. After much debate, a plan was inacted. Belron would burrow under the earth and attempt to reach out to the inprisoned Formian queen via telepathy. If they could find her and reunite her with her hive, the Formians could easily overtake the Drow, making their job much easier. Down he burrowed! And down even further! Down...down...down...he lost form. It became hard to breath. The earth crushed in around him. Death. Belron was dead. Pulling off the bead from his friendship bracelet at the agreed upon time, Raffyr received, by the grace of Mielikki, the corpse of his friend. Raffyr knew they had to return to Xiomara and so he and Ashe brought the body of Belron back and sought resurrection services.
Setting off along the river it wasn't very long before the party spotted an odd sight on the ground, under a nearby bush. A blight of some sort had infected the ground. None of them had every encountered anything like this before. Raffyr, ever brave and just, decided it was his duty to touch the strange blight and trigger any affects. A casting of protection against evil, by Ashe, saved him from harm as the strange blight was decidedly evil. Belron burrowed underground to attempt to find the roots of this "thing" but only discovered that the roots were deeper than he expected and that they traveled south east along the river in the direction they were already headed. Not really knowing how details connected, the party continued following the river finding even more of this strange blight, until the sound of a bugle range wide and into the ears of Belron and Raffyr. Knowing instintively that it was the Herald of Mielikki both of her worshippers hightailed it over, at high speed, dragging Ashe along with them. The Herald of Mielikki informed Belron and Raffyr (though sadly Raffyr could not understand his words) that an evil had begun corrupting The Verdant Expanse and charged them both to find it and eradicate it. Both Belron and Raffyr fell over themselves in fervant desire to heed the herald's words and vowed that this would be done. The herald instructed them to head directly east from their current location and they should find the source. Sure enough, as the party traveled east, they continued to see this strange blight grow and overtake more and more of The Verdant Expanse. From off in the distance they noticed spiderlike creatures and knew it was time. Once close enough these creatures were revealed to be Driders, evil monstrosities of Lolth's punishment. They were dragging kidnapped elves along behind them. The adventurers made quick work of the Driders. The kidnapped elves, unfortunately, becoming collateral damage. Filled with an ever growing rage, Belron spurred the party onward until they came to an almost larger than life ant hill in the plains of The Verdant Expanse. Guarded fiercely by more Driders and Goliath Spiders the party was challenged. Belron instintively stopped any Driders from reporting back inside the mound, leaving Raffyr and Ashe to fight off the Goliath Spiders. The adventurers survived the fight but not without significant trample damage from the colossal sized spiders. Out of the goodness of his heart, Just Raffyr chanced friendship with one of the Driders, and won out. While fleeing for his life across the plains, the Drider informed the party on what they would find if they entered the ant hill - a thriving city of Drow. After much debate, a plan was inacted. Belron would burrow under the earth and attempt to reach out to the inprisoned Formian queen via telepathy. If they could find her and reunite her with her hive, the Formians could easily overtake the Drow, making their job much easier. Down he burrowed! And down even further! Down...down...down...he lost form. It became hard to breath. The earth crushed in around him. Death. Belron was dead. Pulling off the bead from his friendship bracelet at the agreed upon time, Raffyr received, by the grace of Mielikki, the corpse of his friend. Raffyr knew they had to return to Xiomara and so he and Ashe brought the body of Belron back and sought resurrection services.
Rewards Granted
Loot:
1000gp
[9,000 gp] rod of metamagic, persistent (lesser) [clue indicates function]
[12,000 gp] blind man's fold [clue indicates function]
[1900gp] mwk composite longbow +8/+3 x 4
[750 gp] potion of tongues (CL 5) x 2
Experience:
Raffyr(ECL 17): 425xp = 0 (Drider Kidnappers) + 425 (Guarded Anthill)
Belron(ECL 15): 2063xp = 750 + 1313
Ashe (ECL 12): 4400xp = 1600 + 2800
1000gp
[9,000 gp] rod of metamagic, persistent (lesser) [clue indicates function]
[12,000 gp] blind man's fold [clue indicates function]
[1900gp] mwk composite longbow +8/+3 x 4
[750 gp] potion of tongues (CL 5) x 2
Experience:
Raffyr(ECL 17): 425xp = 0 (Drider Kidnappers) + 425 (Guarded Anthill)
Belron(ECL 15): 2063xp = 750 + 1313
Ashe (ECL 12): 4400xp = 1600 + 2800
Report Date
30 Jan 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
