The Driders : Part 1

A Twisted Nature

General Summary

The party, finding themselves in a jungle clearing with a subtropical climate immediately began to explore their surroundings. An obvious trail led out of the clearing but Gabe investigated some of the animal paths and identified that a humanoid creature had relatively recently utilized them, moving above the undergrowth where necessary by climbing the trees and vaulting between them. He also recognized that the plant life in the area was twisted in some very non-natural ways. They decided to follow the larger, more well-travelled track and Kail examined the mysterious device that was transporting them, apparently to different times and places through Valinian history. He attempted to channel arcane magic into the box using a Shocking Grasp, but the feather on the box absorbed the spell and seemed to reject it, shooting the arcane electricity directly into the ground at Kail's feet. A mere 500 feet down the path the party noticed the climate and foliage rapidly changing to a more temperate look and feel. Gabe, carefully looking at the natural surroundings became more and more convinced that something was badly wrong with where they were. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt natural. A further half mile or so down the track, another broader clearing opened up. At its far end was a trench rent in the ground as it rose steeply. Dropping a magically lit stone inside the party saw it tumble down a steep pathway into the ground before coming to rest. Hide volunteered to scout the underground passage, tying a rope to herself and squeezing through the narrow gap while the party secured the other end of the rope to a nearby rock. Using the full 50 feet of the rope down the steep passage, it became apparent that the tunnel continued as far as could be seen even utilizing darkvision. As Hide explored her surroundings, a front of rainfall moved towards the clearing and, terrifyingly, the flora seemed to begin to scream and warp as the rain moved through. Where it touched the ground the raindrops began to sizzle, sending up small plumes of steam. Edging slowly across the clearing towards the party, they opted to squeeze through into the tunnel to shelter rather than brave possible contact with this strange weather event. Managing to edge through just in time to avoid contact with the rain, the party nonetheless felt a strong gust of ice cold wind blow through the tunnel as the sheet of rain passed overhead. Then, suddenly, the sound of rain stopped. Peeking outside, a sheen of ice covered everything but it was apparent that the temperature was rapidly rising and the newly formed ice began to melt. A faint sulphuric smell permeated the air and, the melting ice also seemed to cause the small plumes of steam where it touched the ground. Emerging from the tunnel to investigate, two things became readily apparent. Firstly, the melting ice was faintly acidic, not enough to actually burn the skin, but enough to cause a faint tingle where it touched exposed flesh. Secondly, the plants and trees had warped further, confirming, as if it was now needed, that something had gone very wrong with nature here. Indeed, to Gabe, it was as if nature itself had fled. As Kail thought through his studies, he was able to identify only two possibilities from his knowledge of Valinian history. The emergence of Nivian into the world sometime around eight centuries prior to what the party thought of as the modern day or the Year of Wild Magic in 1000, the prior year from the party's point of view, when a burst of Wild Magic on Cerulea created an entire new biosphere on the island. A drop of melting ice right between Kail's eyes brought his thoughts back to the present as he tried to blink it off and realized that he could not blink. His eyes had, if not exactly swollen, then expanded. Still firmly in their sockets, but protruding well beyond their natural state. Looking at the others he realized that Snot's face was reacting a good two seconds behind the rest of his body. With Hide and Gabe seemingly unaffected, Gabe cast healing magic on his companions which seemed to at least ease the effects of whatever was going on. Feeling that they needed to shelter from the surface effects, and seeing that the passage underground appeared to be in regular use, they decided to follow the tunnel, which continued steeply down into the depths before starting to slightly level out, though still descending. After some time a light up ahead alerted the party to either a turn in the tunnel or possibly an alcove or opening into a chamber - it was too far away to tell. Hide scouted ahead, successfully sneaking up on an alcove where a couple of drow were tossing a small globe of light between them, passing the time in what appeared to be a guard post. It was the monstrosity behind them, however, that instantly drew Hide's attention. Stifling the urge to scream she observed what appeared to be a Giant Spider with the torso of a drow emerging from where the eyes and mandibles would be. Hide recognized this as a creature of legend, one she had thought was only found in myths to frighten goblin younglings. A drider. These monstrous creatures, much like a Centaur did indeed combine the beast with a humanoid form and were reputed to be the guardians of the husk of Nivian's Valinian form prior to his essence being sealed with the Book of Dreadful Shadow by the other gods. Moving silently away, Hide thought she was in the clear, but the keen senses of the drider detected just the faintest scent of something new and as Hide snuck back up the tunnel towards her friend, she heard a skittering on the tunnel roof as the drider emerged to investigate and quickly honed in on the goblin. Hide took a shot with her crossbow at the advancing monstrosity, drawing a little blood, but not stopping it sufficiently as it advanced rapidly upon her. Unexpectedly, however, the drider recoiled almost as soon as it moved to bite Hide. Something about her seemed to terrify the monstrosity and it skittered rapidly away. In the meantime, the drow guards and the party had been alerted to the trouble, both sides advancing towards each other down the passageway and engaging each other in combat, with Kail realizing where, and when, they must be. On the continent of Briarra, sometime around Years 112 or 113, in the midst of the Feywar...