Istyher and Astrid, closest to the open door, hear what sounds like several sets of feet tapping across stone. Unable to contain her curiosity, Istyher seizes Astrid by the hand and swings the door wide to see what lies beyond.
The treasury chamber sprawls before them, its walls lined with ancient wooden shelves sagging under the weight of tarnished silver plates, dusty scrolls bound in cracked leather, and small chests stacked haphazardly atop one another. Glinting among the debris are scattered coins—gold and platinum catching the dim light—and the unmistakable gleam of cut gemstones heaped in brass bowls. But the treasure fades from importance as a massive shadow moves in the chamber’s depths.
Towering over the pair, a woman’s upper half sprouts from the body of an enormous black spider. The creature possesses multiple orange eyes that slant sharply down around her angular cheekbones. Astrid’s breath catches as she recognizes the lavender skin and long white hair.
“This is Lolth!” Astrid hisses.
Istyher pauses in her approach to the massive figure. “Who is Lolth?” Her voice echoes throughout the large space.
“Spider goddess. Evil. The dark elves worship—”
Before Astrid can finish, the woman barks a single word: “Not!” All eight of her eyes focus intently on the changeling, who stares back with genuine fascination.
The woman curls her long, bluish hands into fists, then tents them before her chest. She clicks her blood-red nails together in an unsettling rhythm that finally draws Istyher’s full attention. When the creature smiles, her teeth are very long and white.
In a voice rusty from disuse, she intones, “Not the Lady Lolth. I am ???, Keeper of the Treasury of the Temple of ???. Why have you disturbed my sanctuary?”
“Treasury?” Istyher’s attention snaps back to the spider woman, who regards her more closely as Astrid launches into an explanation about seeking shelter from the forest fire.
“But we’ll be going now,” Astrid babbles, taking a step backward.
“Go?” The Keeper’s smile widens. “And miss dinner? Your friend seems so tasty—I mean sweet—and it would be such a pity for her to miss dining together.”
Eight long, muscular legs maneuver the enormously tall body closer. The drider bends her abdomen beneath her, and Astrid spots a broad glob of silk extruding from the spinnerets just in time.
The drider sends a thick stream of webbing at the pair. Astrid seizes Istyher by the arm and both manage to dodge the sticky strands. The webbing splatters harmlessly against the floor to their right in a sticky splash. The Keeper clacks her teeth together in frustration.
Fuzzy and Grapult rush through the doorway to stand behind their companions. Fuzzy observes the scene with academic interest. “Ooh, a drider.”
The Keeper’s head whips around. “More guests to join me for a meal!”
Grapult retorts with characteristic sass. “I won’t eat with anyone so ugly!”
All eight of the Keeper’s eyes narrow at the goliath. She springs forward with terrifying speed, knocking down and trampling the three companions in her path. The guardian snatches up Grapult, drawing him close to her razor-sharp teeth. She bites him twice in quick succession, and her crushing grip allows her claw-like nails to pierce his flesh painfully.
⚔
Fred darts through the doorway unseen while his companions grapple with the drider. He slides along the southern wall for three yards and slips quietly through another door, fortunately unlocked on this side. The corridor beyond ends in yet another door, and his intuition tells him this leads back to the chamber with the guardian statue. He is correct and offers a quick salute as he goes by. The guardian statue blinks its stone eyes in acknowledgment.
Fred re-enters the dusty bedchamber. His attention immediately snags on bloody boot prints spreading in the far corner near the treasury door.
⚔
Grapult, dangling from the drider’s clawed grip, has wrenched himself free with a desperate twist. His magical boots shimmer and he vanishes from sight as he drops to the floor. The invisible goliath races through the doorway and presses himself into the corner beside it, preparing to ambush the drider when she pursues.
In his haste, Grapult fails to notice the bloody tracks marking his path.
The drider rushes through the door, following the crimson trail, and again seizes Grapult, biting him savagely, while Fred, horrified, looks on.
In the treasury, Istyher the changeling shifts their form, coming to look startling like Astrid.
⚔
Meanwhile, across the temple complex, Nesquo is confronted by a tall biped. It’s sagging grey body is topped by a fanged spiderlike head, complete with multiple eyes. These all seem intent on the Druid. Behind the creature, another door. He wonders if that is where the snake has gone.
Steeling himself, Nesquo asks the creature, “Have you seen a snake? It came this way just a little while ago.”
Nesquo pauses, awaiting an answer. The creature takes one lumbering step toward the druid, then another.
Nesquo gets a very bad feeling from the situation.
The creature takes another step, closing the distance between them.
Suddenly, it emits a stream of web that lands over Nesquo, binding him tightly in the sticky webbing. The druid attempts to cast Call Lightning, but realizes he cannot make the arcane sigil with his hands tightly bound. Instead, he Misty Steps across the room, leaving a Nesquo-shaped cocoon that slumps slowly to the tiled floor.
Nesquo throws open the door and quickly slams it again, locking it. He can hear the creature rattling the door and roaring in frustration.
The druid steps back, only just beginning to notice his surroundings. He has locked himself into what seems to be a jail. He can see five empty cells off a short hallway that has another door on the north wall.
As Nesquo steps into this corridor, he notices that the ceiling above seems to be quivering slightly. Curious. Nesquo, now on the tips of his toes, squints a little closer.
Spiders. Thousands of spiders.
And a few hundred leap off the ceiling to land upon Nesquo, biting him venomously. Trying not to panic but fortunately not yet sickened, Nesquo casts a Thunderclap spell. Many of the spiders drop from Nesquo, who races toward the closed door. But many more spiders still swarm over him.
