2001-03-04: Spider Queen Slain! Spider Attacks Cease
Spider Queen Slain! Spider Attacks Cease
| Author: Cara Newsman | Published: March 4, 2001 |
Greetings readers. Today I bring you the conclusion of what has been over a week long series of reports about spider attacks out near the crossroads west of Britain. For the last ten days spiders of all sorts have been crawling out of the woods around the crossroads and attacking various people as they passed by. Concern about the arachnids rose steadily as the attacks continued and no source could be found. Isobel the Ranger, (long time friend of Evie Vandergellen and her family) was set to patrol the area to see if she could discover the reason behind these attacks.
“Spiders have various reasons for spreading out over the lands,” Isobel stated when I spoke with her. “Aryn, (a companion of Isobel’s while the search for Evie was going on) felt that it might be a spider queen that was either sending out her children or looking to establish a new territory. In either case, we began to search for a nest somewhere in the nearby area.” And what a nest they found!
In a cave along the mountains due north of the crossroads Isobel discovered the arachnids’ lair. “I marked a rune for the area and went to look for help as there were far too many spiders there for me to take on by myself,” Isobel commented. “It happened that there was another raid going on at the crossroads as I hurried back to town. I leapt into the fighting and as the area was cleared, spoke with those that were there, asking if they would accompany me to the cave to deal with the Spider Queen.” Once the crossroads were safe for travelers, those willing to help followed Isobel to the spider cave.
Hordes and hordes of spiders poured from the entrance. The wandering healers had their hands full rejoining spirits to bodies, but the ‘exterminators’ continued to press into the eight legged mass of monsters, hacking and slashing till a path was made into the cave. The floor was littered with spider silk and what must have been the remains of previous victims. Bits of armor, weapons, and gold all lay scattered about. But what caught everyone’s attention was the Spider Queen herself. She towered over her ‘children’ hissing and spitting and taunting everyone. She strongly resembled a terathan matriarch and when the adventurers came too close, she fled through a dark purple facet gate that sat way in the back of the cave.
“We gathered as many folk as we could, leaving those that were badly wounded to the care of the healers. If things were bad here, it was very probable that it was going to be worse once we crossed to felucca,” commented Isobel, her brow furrowed as she recalled the events of the day. “We crossed over and there were more spiders, giant ones, black widows and dreads. The Queen was there for only a moment before she scuttled through a gate set in the wall next to the facet gate. We took a collective breath and rushed the gate. It led us to the terathan keep in the lost lands. What we’d thought of as a bad fight had suddenly gotten much worse. Some folk changed their minds and returned back through the gate, but others stayed on to track down the Queen and slay her.”
And slay the Spider Queen they did. Many terathans came to the aid of the Spider Queen but, by working together, the adventurers were able to finally draw the life out of her. “We had to set up an emergency healing area with guards so that those who had fallen in the fight had a chance to be resurrected and healed. I spent most of my time running between that room and chasing down the terathans that were trying to get to the wounded for an easy meal,” stated Isobel.
Once the Spider Queen was dead, a strategic retreat was called for. Mages flung open gates and the exterminators retreated from the terathan keep. Isobel thanked everyone that had come to help. “Many were upset that they were not given some great reward for helping, but others were pleased to have been of service. People are very odd sometimes. One gentleman, I believe his name was Phasm, had lost one of his pet dragons there, and yet he seemed content that he’d done some good in the world and put an evil to rest.”
This reporter would like to add her thanks to those of Isobel to all those that came to aid our lands. Many things prowl outside our towns and without those who are good of heart and are willing to step forward and pull down those monsters that wish only to destroy everything, our world would be a dark and sad place. So my congratulations and thanks to all of you who help our lands. Till next time, may the Virtues be with you!
