“Face your fears, and you will find the courage to face them again.” – Bryce Ward 7/31/2021

Last week we left off with our party of adventurers fighting through their first encounter with the giant spiders stalking the nearby woods. With the hunt on, the party arrives at a farm drowning in webs. Tiny spiders eat away at what remains of the crops. Despite the apparent neglect by mortal hands, the house and barn still stand covered in webbing. If the party tries to enter the barn first, they will find that the main front door is locked from the inside. Another locked door can be found on the barn’s side. The party also can climb onto the roof and descend through the large hole located in the roof. The spiders use the roof as their main entrance into their nest. However, if the party fails to enter the barn right away, searching the house can uncover the key to the barn’s side door. In addition, they will discover cocoons holding the remains of the spider’s latest victims and clues as to the fate of the last owner.

Entering The Barn

Once the party makes their way into the barn, they will find that the interior has been transformed into the spider’s nest. Cocoons of victims, both beast and humanoids, can be found alongside pulsating eggs. A couple of giant spiders attend to the eggs while the Broodmother oversees the pair from her perch, and she will spot the heroes as they enter the barn. The spiders will aim to overwhelm the party and protect the Broodmother. To make this encounter even more interesting for our players, the Broodmother will focus on releasing spider swarms from the nearby eggs. That means the group will need to act quickly to avoid being swarmed. They can either focus on killing the Broodmother or destroying any remaining eggs to prevent her from overwhelming the party. If all else fails, the party can use fire to defeat the Broodmother, but this risks burning down the barn and damaging any surviving supplies. Once the Broodmother is killed and the remaining eggs are smashed, the party can uncover the hidden trapdoor following the clues from the house. Inside the chamber, the party discovers a large stockpile of untouched food, weapons, and armor. In the back of the room is a bed with the farmer’s body resting upon it. His guard dog, Brutis, has managed to survive the spider’s attack, and despite his weakened state, Brutis will still protect his master preventing the heroes from approaching. However, if the party offers Brutis food or otherwise gains his trust, Brutis will allow the aiding party member to approach his master. The farmer has long since passed away, taken by the spider’s poison, and the party can claim his magical axe. With their mission complete, they can return to Amberfall with the much-needed supplies and Brutis as a new companion.

Thank You!

Hey, thank you for reading this week’s post! If you are interested in digging into the story behind this quest, then be sure to check out my short story, The Infestation. It’s only $5 a month to gain access to all of my short stories, and every month I add four more stories for you to enjoy!

Thank you again for your time and for reading this post!

Have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,

-Bryce Ward