The Cobwebbed Shrine and the Dark Pool

After making mincemeat of the cultists, the Adventurers push deeper into the caves...

5. The Cobwebbed Shrine

The Adventurers’ lanterns light a heavily cobwebbed room. Cocoons of spider-silk hang ominously about the chamber, which is obviously a shrine. A SPIDER-MONK, sits cross-legged suspended in webbing, chanting before an altar crawling with normal-sized spiders. A tapestry spun from spider-silk hangs behind the altar, showing Arhallogen astride an astrological representation of the Heavens. If the Monk is inspected Adventurers will notice that he has two small extra sets of legs growing at awkward angles from his hips. Compared to with withered, aged skin of the rest of the Monk, these legs have bright pink, babyish skin. The Spider-Monk is in the midst of metamorphosis – being most blessed of Arhallogen – and is unable to respond to the Adventurers.

If the Adventurers do not take care in this room, they will pull on the webs. If they do so, they will alert 1d6+2 GIANT SPIDERS to their presence.

There are four exits. To the [north] there is a climbing rough cut stair-way, from where can be heard the clang of metal and brutish shouts. To the [south] there is a tunnel that slopes up, back to the entrance chamber. To the [east] there is a climbing tunnel, which is illuminated by flickering firelight. Also to the [east] there is also a smaller, downward sloping tunnel. This tunnel is utterly silent and utterly black.

GIANT SPIDER

SKILL 7 STAMINA⑧⑦⑥⑤④③②①             

Weapon	1	2	3	4	5	6	7+
Bite	2	3	3	3	4	4	5

Giant Spiders can make 2 Attacks.

Armour	1	2	3	4	5	6	7+
Bristly Hair	0	0	0	1	1	1	2

Snaggletooth the Dwarf decided that he would use his battleaxe to clear a path through the cobwebs... so any real investigation of this room had to wait until after the Adventurers had dealt with the Giant Spiders that he had alerted. Once that was over, and much of their recent rest and recuperation undone, the Adventurers had the chance to inspect the Spider-Monk. Unable to break his meditation, Rhoda Red-Tress hacked off his head.

5a. The Dark Pool

At first glance, the pool here seems to be filled with water, but is impossibly black, no matter what illumination is used. The pool is made of the essence of Krazan Krazan’s magical webs, and is an extremely sticky and utterly black substance. It can be collected, perhaps, and used imaginatively. It is, however, also partially in Eternal Web, the Realm of Arhallogen, and so will act as a homing beacon, should Arhallogen turn his attention to the Adventurer carrying the stuff. 

Naturally, enough, after poking the blackness with their weapons and finding it almost aggressively sticky, the Adventurers decided to 'chuck stuff in'. They cut down several of the cocoons from the Shrine and tossed them into the pool. Tendrils of black climbed up the cocoons thrown into the pool, dragging them down, but before they were fully submerged the cocoons faded out of existence. Puzzled, the Adventurers decided to throw the body (and head) of the SPIDER-MONK into what they presumed was a cosmic dustbin.