It took almost a week for Doric to recover completely even with the healing and herbs that Cedris and El-Dris could provide.

Cedris used that time to finish his skins. He was able to cut the newly made leather into some serviceable armor for Doric and Sasha. He also started the tanning process on the wolf skins. Though not as tough as the boar, it to would make useable armor for himself and El-Dris, should he wish it.

After Doric recovered from his wounds enough it was time for the party to decide what to do. Doric said “Let us move inland, find us a hill so that we might see where we are. I’m tired of just staying here waiting for the next beasty to come and decide I am to be his dinner.”

Sasha replied. ” Seems to me that would be for the best. We need to find some way to get information, and its not coming to us.

Doric continued “We have done what we can here.” he pounded on his newly made leather breastplate. “I thank you laddy for whipping this here armor up”

Cedris blushed and replied “Your welcome, I wish I was able to tell Brother Jessup thanks for all the hardship he put me through to learn that trade. But time well spent now.”

El-Dris spoke up “It has been decided we shall push to an overlook to see what we are able. We should pack up what we can for we don’t know what the road will be like going forward.” he continued ” I have been able to gather many herbs and wild berries in my time here and we have been able to salt much of the meat that has come to us.”

They packed up what meager supplies they had. They strapped them to a quickly made travois, made from the netting and the last of the sail cloth from the dingy. They made a few extra spears and clubs and started off toward the dark wood line a mile or so away. They left the crashing waves of the shore for the shrill calls of birds and the rustle of small animals in the ancient forest before them.

For the next two days the party tramped through the forest darkness. The sounds of birds and small animals crashing through the underbrush could be heard all around them. They didn’t know where they where heading. They were just going into the future. Early in the morning of the third day they heard the sound of rushing water. Soon they came upon a deep, blue, fresh running river.

They stopped and rested in the early afternoon. Filling up their water cask, now they had fresh water and eating some of the dried meat. They decided they should follow the river, maybe to its source. Hopefully finding a overlook where they could get the lay of the land along the way. Onward they went. The forest thinned out a bit as they followed the water.

Cedris was able to fashion leather armor for his self and a satchel for El-Dris to carry what herbs and crystals he had been able to gather. Though not easy and with the items a bit rough, the group was starting to get outfitted for their chosen professions as they camped and moved through the forest and along the river. .

Sasha called to the party “Is it just me or did the birds stop chirping?”

El-Dris respond’s “This is strange. I believe you are right.”

Cedris say’s “Hum, What would you think would cause that?” The sound of skittering erupts behind them….

By the River and Through the Woods

Almost as soon as the party noticed all the sounds around them had ceased, Sasha heard a skittering behind them. She yelled, “Behind us, something is coming!”

In an attempt to see between the trees, Sasha wove back and forth, jumping and racing through the woods. Ahead of her, rather large spiders appeared. Sasha screamed as one of them lunged and sank its fangs into her arm. She felt a burning sensation as the spider’s venom entered her flesh, but luckily it failed to cause her significant damage. Quickly she struck back, but the spider jumped clear of her blow.

The wizard El-Dris chanted beneath his breath and shot a fire bolt toward the spider closest to him. The bolt struck the spider. Singed, it skittered back, only to then dash forward again, its many beady red eyes staring hungerly at them. Doric threw off the travois and readied his shield and spear. Cedris turned and chanted the name of Mithras. An almost invisible glow went out from him and suffused his companions with holy energy.

Doric charged into the spiders, crying out, “By the fury of the mountain winds!” He scooped up one of the spiders with his spear and smashed it against a nearby tree. Sasha stepped up next to Doric pinning a smaller spider to the ground with a quick stab of her own. Another surge of mystic energy flew by one of the spiders, slightly scorching it with magical flames.

As the spiders continued pouring in Doric cried, “Ahead! We must flee!” He turned and rushed forward, Sasha and El-Dris following close behind.

A spider pounced at the opportunity and attacked the fleeing Sasha, sinking its ochre-dripping fangs into her calf. A spider rushed Cedris, but he flung it into the river to its doom.

Another spider skittered under Doric’s defenses, climbing up the front of him, pierced his throat with its needle sharp fangs. All that saved Doric from succumbing to the deadly bite was his legendary Dwarven stamina and his equally legendary will to fight. Doric knocked the spider on the ground and kicking it away.

The party fled up the water way. As other spiders attempted to get to the party, Cedris prayed aloud, “May the light of Mithras heal you.” He reached out to touch Sasha as she ran, some of her wounds closing as he did so.

As a spider jumped to the ground from a tree next to him, El-Dris spun, pointed a finger and spoke a Word of Power. Spider legs and gore flew apart as the spider detonated from the point blank firebolt to its abdomen.

Seeming to sense the party was no easy prey, the spiders pulled back further along the river as the party fled. Their numbers now much reduced by the quick strokes of the Gowdawn Explorers.

Suddenly Sasha screamed. “Look ahead! They’ve trapped us! There is their queen!” Before them stood a giant yellow spider poised to attack.

Doric grumbled, “Of course they’ve trapped us. Should have known it wasn’t us they feared.” He punctuated his words by quickly turning and stomping on a smaller spider.

Doric and Cedris without hesitation charged forward. Cedris called out, “For Mithras!” swinging down his club. As if guided by divinity the club crashed into the main joint of the giant spider’s front leg, breaking it with a sharp crack like broken greenwood.

The spider made a unnatural sound as its exoskeleton buckled and its leg hung dead, ichor spilling from the joint. Again the giant spider attempted to strike back, but its limp leg betrayed it and it missed Cedris completely. El-Dris sent flame spinning off at one of the lesser spiders, but it struck a nearby tree instead which smoked and sizzled.

Sasha attempted to sneak around to flank the spider but tripped on the skull of a large animal, most likely killed by the arachnids.

Doric lined up his spear and stabbed at one deep red orb of the spider’s eyes, but missed. Instead he gouged a deep groove in the creature’s head. Angered, the spider crashed into Doric, driving its fangs deep into the dwarf. Doric went completely white as the venom flooded his body. Cedris screamed and bashed the spider again, rupturing one of its eyes in a spray of greenish fluid. A puff of smoke wafted over the spider as a magic dart of flame from El-Dris struck home. Unable to quickly regain her feet, Sasha swung wildly at the spider from below.

The spider launched a giant web at Doric, completely encasing him in sticky white substance. Doric struggled with the encasing web, only managing to more securely entangle himself.

Seeing his friend in so much peril, Cedris pushed forward with all his might. He lifted the spider up with his shield and while swinging down, broke two more legs with one mighty blow. Heaving itself sideways, on its remaining good legs, the spider freed itself from Cedric.

Sensing an opening, Sasha rolled under the spider and jammed her spear deep into its guts through its vulnerable body joint. The giant spider tensed, seeming to vibrate for a moment, then go slack and collapse.

El-Dris slew the final spider with a well placed club strike. The forest once again was quiet, save for the retching of Doric as the venom continued to course through his veins.

The party took a quick look around, finding bones and other remains of the spider’s victims. One such remnant was the corpse of another humanoid encased in webs. They sliced open the cocoon. Inside was the bone dry skeleton of a human. Most of what it had been wearing having completely dissolved from the spider’s digestive fluids. A bright glint showed an undamaged longsword inside flaking leather of a scabbard.

The party decided they needed to leave this area quickly. They could feel the hungry eyes of the smaller spiders hiding in the woods, too afraid to attack them. They loaded a heaving and shivering Doric onto the travois and set off for a safer place to rest.

**Two notes of interest….

One: My daughter painted the giant spider. She really wanted to and she did a pretty good job. I am very excited that she is starting to enjoy doing some of the same things as her papa.

Two: I always roll these battles straight and the giant spider was one round from straight up killing the party. But Cedris rolled two crits in a row and then Sasha rolled one also. I’m glad I didn’t have to figure out a way to continue the story I have planned if everyone dies, but I will if I have to. Sometimes the gods are with you. Hopefully they will continue to be with the Gowdown Explorers. **