D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 08

Yep, always behind on these but that's fine. I'd rather go at my own pace with this that not update at all. This season of Encounters went by in a flash. We started the season with a table of five, losing one from the start of the trilogy, and saw it explode over the eight weeks to two full tables of six. I'm proud of the direction our store's little RPG group is going.

I'm not sure there's a lot to comment about this final session. The module had it pretty straightforward. Valan dropped in as the big bad just in the nick of time at the end, and now the fight! I was a little disappointed that after Valan was built up so much last season that he just gets a whimpered ending here. They hardly include any dialogue for him and as far as roleplaying him just suggest "like the Jaezred Chaulssin assassin" was. I think that was super lazy for a villain that felt a step above the usual Encounters fare. Truth be told, I actually hoped he would survive to go on into the final season of the trilogy and be the one point that sort of more directly linked each season; beyond the arcane master plot.

Regardless, things are what they are. It was interesting to play a season where the party acted as the villains for a change. I'm not sure I'd want to go back there again, at least in the near future, but I was really appreciative that we had everybody really get into the spirit of things and shoot for those secret House Goals. They generated a lot of laughs and will be missed. Here's my table's conclusion, look forward to our foray into the end of the Rise of the Underdark trilogy over the coming weeks:

Session 08: Valan's Ambition
-Descending the stairs, the party knew the time for their final encounter was drawing near. Bolstered in support by the drow guards that had served Faeryl, the group proceeded in confidence. Zarra took up a role near the rear acting more as a commander of the group allowing the guards to fight in her place. Below, the party discovered a chamber that looked like a catacomb or shine, perhaps even both. From its appearance, it seemed to be older than even the vast Bone Locker beneath West Wall.

-To the left, the party noticed a small altar dedicated to Lolth. Ahead rested four alcoves, each holding several niches stacked with the brown bones of long-dead drow. Some of the alcoves were choked with spider webs that extended to the ceiling, teeming with living spiders. To the right, more webs hung from the ceiling and drapped over two statues of glowering gargoyles; which flanked another stairway leading even further down.

-As they party studied the room, a small figure detached itself from the shadows near the statues and slipped won the stairs. However, before they could react, a cloud of greasy brown smoke appeared over the altar accompanied by a sharp stench. It was little more than a hazy smudge in the air, but all present could feel the power and malevolence oozing from it.

-Zarra immediately identified this presence as a yochlol demon; one of the handmaidens of Lolth. Usually, these were seen only in temples when summoned by Lolth's priestesses. Thus, a yochlol appearing on its own in such a place was unheard of and surely a sign of either Lolth's favor or her severe displeasure. At once, the yochlol began to speak directly into the mind of each party member: "Prove yourselves to your Goddess, mortals! How do you, in your current actions, obey the Spider Queen's will?"

-Knowing such a question was not to be answered lightly, all those present carefully considered their answers. One by one, with their response each party member was met with favor from Lolth save one. Charon, who claimed he was serving Lolth by spreading chaos in the world forced the yochlol's words to become quite harsh cursing Charon while stating, "You stand astride the chasm, and soon you will plunge into it. Lolth is your queen--will you not serve her? Danifae has revealed her will--do you not seek to obey it? The Way of Lolth has been established for centuries--do you not wish to preserve it? Neither hot nor cold. I spit you out!"

-Through the yochlol, Lolth's will on the recent issues was made clear. The pursuit of the Demon Weave was still the primary goal. Both the extreme priestesses (who wished to stop this) and the Council of Spiders (who desired male representation when Lolth's command made no such mention) were in error. However, the more pressing matter was Valan Jaelre and the interference by the Jaezred Chaulssin. Particularly pleased with Solvayas' devotion, the yochlol offered to impart knowledge on any one question. After asking about who backed Valan Jaelre's actions, the yochlol explained that he had been supported by House Nuryndin; the inconsequential 48th House of Menzoberranzan. Through them, Valan kept in touch with a more senior member of the Jaezred Chaulssin.

-In a bright burst of flames, the yochlol vanished. At the same time, a bolt of dark energy blasted from the room below the stairs striking Ryltar and injuring him. It seemed Valan's troops had noticed the party's arrival and now their showdown would begin. At the top of the stairs approached two of the Jaezred Chaulssin's shadowy Hex Knights ready to defend their position. Further down the stairs, Solvayas and Belgos noticed two odd enemies. They were drow, but they also boasted obsidian scales on their necks, shoulders, and clawlike hands. Further back into the room below stood a male drow wearing ornate robes and carrying what looked like solidified strands of shadow twisted together into a gnarled staff. He wore a symbol that looked like a sunburst that transitions into two daggers pointing down like fangs. This was not a House insignia that anyone recognized; it had to be Valan Jaelre.

-The battle was intense as the party found their advance halted by the Hex Knights. From beyond, the drow with oddly dragon-like features added in a hail of long range fire taking advantage of their humanoid shields. Only Belgos was safe as he took up a sniping position using the altar dedicated to Lolth for cover. Not to be outclassed, Valan cast spells from the safety behind the Hex Knights as well unleashing a powerful explosion of poisonous webbing trapping much of the party and making it difficult to move about. Furthermore, this overwhelming force managed to instantly kill Faeryl's forces that had been acting under Zarra's command. The Melarn priestess struggled to keep her remaining troops up and in the fight.

-Eventually, the Hex Knight's defensive line was broken as Drisdhaun summoned a powerful fountain of flames that continued to blaze their original location. This forced the Hex Knights to break rank and proceed in closer to avoid the inferno. With this advantage, the party began to gain the upper hand forcing the dragon-like drow to proceed in as well; where Solvayas learned that these spellcasters were just as competent and deadly in melee.

-Confident in his victory, Valan Jaelre began to gloat to the party. He spoke of his actions in the Dalelands and how it was merely a deception to draw the attention of those in Menzoberranzan while he infiltrated the city and began amassing power and begging manipulation. He also added that he had found a powerful artifact along the way, one which would easily allow him to topple the city given the chance. He claimed that the party would perish and their fall would signal Menzoberranzan's destruction. Ultimately, even Lolth would meet her match as Valan's power grew.

-However, having spoken with the yochlol, the party remained determined to fight on. Zarra healed what wounds she could and the battle continued. In a moment of reckless bravery, Charon charged through the fray striking a critical blow against Valan wounding him severely. The outcome of the battle was now clear, But Valan refused to accept any outcome other than  his own schemes. Shouting about his masterful plan and the inevitable freeing of the drow from under Lolth's oppressive command, Valan Jaelre fought on even in the face of defeat.

-Ultimately, the mad mage was downed by a final shot from Belgos rendering him badly injured and unconscious. Rather than kill him, Solvayas webbed Valan up as the party concluded that he should be questioned and face punishment for his crimes against Menzoberranzan. However, Valan had other plans. Seeing there was no other alternative, Valan Jaelre activated a poison capsule hidden in his mouth killing himself rather than allow Menzoberranzan to question him about his benefactors and associates.

-Exploring the rest of Valan's hideout, the party discovered a letter confirming House Nuryndin's involvement giving proof to the yochlol's information. They also discovered a scrap of paper on Valan's body that described a meeting scheduled between some leaders of the Council of Spiders and Gromph Baenre; the Archmage of Menzoberranzan. There was no clear sign that he had thrown in lot in with the Council, but even meeting with them made a large statement.

-Most important, the party found the artifact Valan had spoken of. Studying it carefully, Drisdhaun identified it as the Spellfire Manacle. This was an important artifact created after a devout follower of Mystra was captured by drow. Mystra blessed her with the temporary gift of Spellfire--the ability to channel and control raw magical energy, which she used to gain her freedom. The manacle she wore was sacred to Mystra and was said to contain significant remnants of the power of Spellfire. Certainly, it would serve the pursuit of the Demon Weave well.

-Taking Valan's body, the party returned to speak with the Triumvirate about their mission. All three were pleased with their success. Ash'ala mentioned that she had acted in haste with her actions and Hoshtar seemed to have cooled down some as well. Hoshtar was most pleased with Drisdhaun's discover of the Spellfire Manacle and though Drisdhaun mentioned a desire to keep it, this was quickly dashed as both he and Ash'ala made it more than clear that it would have to be dedicated towards the Demon Weave.

-Ro'kolor found the information gained about Gromph as well as House Nuryndin particularly interesting; noting that it seemed the Bregan D'aerthe would remain in good business for yet some time to come. With both Ash'ala and Hoshtar acting as key players, along with the information parted by the yochlol, it seemed the rumination of civil war would die down in Menzoberranzan for the time being; until the backstabbing ways of the drow began to boil over once more. With their actions, the party would become well known among Menzoberranzan. However, more importantly, Lolth's desire for the Demon Weave pushed one step closer to its realization.

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 06+07

Much delayed, but I've got a double shot of updates on Encounters. Things have been busy for me, especially with midterms going on right now, so I just haven't had the time to sit and write up some play reports for what has been going on. On that note, I'm ridiculously behind with some sessions of both Mecha and DCC that I'd like to write up as well. It doesn't help that the pre-release PDF's for Tenra Bansho Zero went out. Being a huge anime fan, I've long been looking forward to this game. I'll likely talk more about it on here in the future, but to state it plainly: this game is amazing.

The Encounters program has been going well for us. All the vets of last season were pleasantly surprised to see Valan Jaelre turn up again. I'm very sad about how the module handles him, however. He's not even given any direct lines which seems like a cop out. Having ran last season, I have a personality worked up from all the changes I made. But I could see him easily being ran as just another dry final boss if the module was taken as is.

Thanks to some good roleplaying, and in my book roleplaying always trumps anything else, my table will be rolling into the grand finale next week with the deck stacked in their favor. Naturally, I have to put on a good show so Valan will have to step up his game as well. He was a master manipulator and seemed to always be a few steps ahead last season, so there's no reason for that to have changed this time.

This season has flown by and it's hard to believe next week is the finale. I'm excited for the conclusion to this trilogy and everyone at our program is eager to see just how this "war" will play out. So, to get all caught up with our heroes:

Interlude

Session 06: The Brink of War
-Once more the party assembled before Ash'ala, Hoshtar and Ro'kolor. This time, they met in a large audience chamber in a mansion owned by Ro'kolor as they listened with grave interest to accounts of the party's recent deeds in full detail.

-When they finished, after a long pause, Ash'ala moved to the point as she pointed out that they had an important decision to make: If Menzoberranzan lies on the brink of civil war, how would each of their houses respond? Each leader wished to hear the input of the party they had assembled, but before beginning their debate all those present reviewed the current facts.

-First, that there existed a group of defiant priestesses that seek to undermine all attempts to create the Demon Weave in order to hold onto their power in the city. Second, that the Council of Spiders seek to have male representation on Menzoberranzan's ruling council. Finally, someone is trying to provoke this tension into open civil war via the assassin that was captured. Drisdhaun suspects they may be tied to the Jaezered Chaulssin; a faction of drow that operate against Lolth.

-The debate began in kind and the initial disposition of everyone seemed obvious. Ash'ala's intent was focused on the Way of Lolth which thus far had only focused on the Demon Weave. Thus, she viewed the Council of Spiders as upstarts going against Lolth's will. Hoshtar, while more reserved than the opinions of the Council of Spiders, saw the logic behind the rise of their power in the city if arcane magic was so elevated by their Spider Queen. Ro'kolor, however, merely wanted to make the decision that was most profitable for the Bregan D'aerthe.

-Working together Solvayas, Belgos and Charon began to persuade Ro'kolor to support the Council of Spiders; noting that if they did rise in power then it would certainly mean more work.  Thus, it would be good to sit in a friendly disposition towards them from the start. However, Ryltar and Zarra were quick to point out that the Bregan D'aerthe had always found work under the priestesses rule and had been well paid for it.

-In a desperate gambit, Belgos and Charon began trying to appeal to Ash'ala's faith on the matter trying to reason that it was, in fact, Lolth's will to elevate those who utilized arcane powers. However, a quick interjection by Zarra dashed any hopes of swaying the proud priestess from her stance.

-Swiftly, lines were drawn in the sand. Ash'ala seemed resolute on eliminating the Council of Spiders. Hosthar in supporting their goals. Ro'kolor remained as the undecided factor. Taking their leader aside, the trio of Bregan D'aerthe mercenaries wished to speak with Ro'kolor in confidence. Alone, Belgos brought up the fact that House Baenre had ordered them to implicate House Melarn during their previous mission and mask any presence of House Xorlarrin. It stood to reason that, if they must act and decide on their own, that backing the Council of Spiders would best reflect the interest of House Baenre; their benefactors. Noting the wisdom in these words, Ro'kolor made his stance official to all present pledging to support the Council of Spiders.

-This brought a great argument as all those present began to discuss the matter of Lolth's will. Just as hands started reaching for weapons, the dispute was interrupted. At the far end of the room, dark shadows began to swirl and take form. It was more of the creatures that had been employed by the assassin. As Ro'kolor moved to protect Ash'ala and Hoshtar, the party agreed to put aside their differences for the time being and defend their leaders.

-The battle was short and swift. Without the leadership and misdirection of the assassin, the shadow creatures could do little on their own against the coordinated drow strike force. Just as they fell the final beast, the doors to the chamber kicked in. Storming forth, another Bregan D'aerthe member emerged as he chucked forth a badly beaten (and well interrogated) Merinid Dalael; the assassin.

-"We have broken him," the mercenary stated clearly, "And we now know who he is working for: Valan Jaelre."

Chapter 3

Session 07: Into the Shadows
-Following this revelation, the leaders returned to their houses and masters to make their arguments and prepare for whatever rested ahead; they urged the party to do the same. Whatever happened next, life in Menzoberranzan might never be the same. The next day, for a final time, the party was gathered by their leaders among the triumvirate. However, they were no longer gathered fully as allies. Hosthar and Ro'kolor met with their members, while Ash'ala met with Zarra and Ryltar alone.

-Each meeting revealed much of the same information. Merinid's status as a member of the Jaezred Chaulssin, an order of assassins committed to the overthrow of what they call the tyranny of Lolth over drow society, was confirmed. Though most of the faction's members were drow, they have strong ties to the Shadowfell and claim to have descended from shadow dragons.

-The mastermind behind their operations in the midst of this crisis was a drow from the distant Dalelands named Valan Jaelre. Rumors suggested that Valan had recently enacted some massive scheme at the city of Shadowdale, but reports were vague. Weirder still, if the accounts were to be believed then it seemed odd that Valan Jaelre could have been present in Menzoberranzan all this time manipulating events from the shadows. Spies had traced his location to a small network of caves and cellars in the Braeryn, Menzoberranzan's slum district. Though divided, each half of the party held the same mission: find and kill Valan Jaelre to put an end to the Jaezred Chaulssin's interference in the city.

-Winding past drinking pits and slave pens Solvayas, Belgos, Charon and Drisdhaun pressed deeper inside the Braeyrn as they sought the location of Valan Jaelre. Eventually, they reached a building that was supposed to hold the assassin's hideaway. It was a run down shack that looked like it was on the verge of collapse, with no front door and a single room inside littered with garbage and debris.

-Inside, a long ladder beneath a trap door brought the group down into a short natural tunnel that almost immediately opened into a large cavern. A number of other tunnels branched off from the cavern, and at one corner it turned into finished stone. A dozen drow were ranged around the cavern: three sentries standing at attention, unmoving, at the edge of the finished stone, five young priestesses grouped with an older priestess wearing the sigil of House Melarn and finally two cloaked males who seemed to be guarding the priestesses.

-They all seemed surprised and displeased at the party's approach. "I must not be seen here," the senior priestess spoke as she gestured to her bodyguards forcing them to raise their weapons. Just as this occurred, Zarra and Ryltar arrived to the cavern having followed their intelligence with brought them in through a different path. Noticing the brewing battle, Zarra recognized the lead priestess as Faeryl Melarn, a relative of Matron Mother Zhindia Melarn who is said to carry her house's favor.

-Noting those of her own house, Faeryl spoke favorably to Zarra. Zarra inquired what she was doing here and Faeryl was quick to explain that she was here to meet with Valan as he had promised to help her bring an end to the effort to help Lolth create the Demon Weave. She added that this was the only way to stop the arrogance of the Council of Spiders. Still, it was against the common feeling of Menzoberranzan and thus Faeryl could not allow any others to see her presence. As her troops readied to battle Solvayas, Beglos, Charon and Drisdhaun, Faeryl ordered Zarra and Ryltar to join here in stamping out those who opposed House Melarn.

-Zarra and Ryltar readied their weapons much to the party's disdain. Calling out to them, Belgos tried to talk them down as he asked if they could not at least fight together a final time against a common enemy: Valan Jaelre. Solvayas and Charon backed this up re-stating just how clear it was that Valan was the source behind the rumblings of civil war to begin with. However, Zarra seemed resolute; this order had come from a priestess that outranked even her. As the battle began, Solvayas was quickly overwhelmed by Faeryl and her subordinates. The two cloaked figures that had accompanied her made use of unique invisibility techniques to confuse the druid and lure him in to be surrounded.

-Feeling confident about her situation, Faeryl moved on to corner Charon, Belgos and Drisdhaun while she ordered Zarra and Ryltar to back her up and also help finish off Solvayas. However, neither could draw their weapons upon their former allies. Zarra merely moved closer and closer to the guards at the area of worked stone under the guide of observing the situation. Ryltar, meanwhile, moved to back up Faeryl claiming that he was confident that the young priestesses under here were more than a match for one foe.

-Things seemed bleak for the party as Solvayas was pushed to his limit and even Charon began to be overcome by the deadly poison summoned forth by Faeryl. However, it was then that a surprising turn of events occurred. Roaring with anger, Ryltar charged down Faeryl and with one powerful swing struck a mortal wound upon a priestess of his own house. Shouting, Ryltar claimed that he grew tired of taking orders from drow such as Faeryl; ignorant in their actions and merely clinging to the old laws as a bid to keep their own power. Even if it meant turning against House Melarn, he could no longer tolerate such actions.

-Working with his allies once more, Ryltar managed to make good on his new vow. With Belgos offering support from afar with a hail of arrows, Ryltar cut down Faeryl even as she cursed his name. This threw chaos into the battlefield allowing the party to down several more drow. Even Solvayas was able to turn the tide on the young priestesses easily dispatching several of them.

-Startled, those present seemed to look to Zarra as a means of assuming command in Faeryl's place. Noticing that this was a chance for her to improve her own status among House Melarn and within Menzoberranzan as a whole, Zarra quickly spoke up ordering the House Melarn forces to stand down. After some terse negotiations with the surviving guards, Zarra made it clear that Valan Jaelre was rumored to be involved with the Jaezred Chaulssin and it could have ruined House Melarn's reputation even just by conferring with him. She went on to add that it had been a sign of Faeryl's weakness and just how unfit she was to be a leader of any kind in Menzoberranzan that she sought to rely on Valan's power and could not even defend herself against Ryltar; a male warrior.

-Swayed by her words, the remaining members of Faeryl's force submitted to Zarra as their new leader. Her first order of business was to establish her former associates as comrades. Regardless of the Demon Weave and the Way of Lolth, Valan Jaelre posed a much larger threat to Menzoberranzan as a whole. Leaving one of Faeryl's men to keep watch, Zarra ordered the rest to follow the party and act as support. Their intelligence lined up with Faeryl's: Valan Jaelre was ahead.

-Examining it closer with the battle resolved, the finished stone area looked like a cellar. Broken crates and splintered barrels littered the floor and an odor of rancid food and bodily waste filled the air; fitting of the Braeryn. A stairway in the far corner seemed to lead further down; presumably to the lair of Valan Jaelre...

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 04+05

Last week was devoid of my usual Encounters update. A lot happened so perhaps I'll explain that first before we get all caught up. In a stroke of fortune, our little RPG group has been expanding rapidly. Returning player here or there. Then they brought a friend. Two new people here. Two more new people there and then one of them brings a friend. All of this was really not a problem at first because some had joined in via our Saturday sessions (more DCC play reports on the way).

However, it all kind of exploded last week when pretty much all the new players converged in for Encounters. I have been our store's sole DM for the past two seasons because we just did not have the numbers to support a second table. Cue my surprise when I get to run a session for eleven players. There was really no other way around it. If you're familiar with 4e then I know you're probably thinking impossible. Well, it moved a bit slower but we did it. Several were still using pregens that I hadn't made the time to bump up past level 1, so that with some liberal tweaking allowed the combat encounter to still present a challenge.

However, with my drive for continuity in the summaries I decided not to write up the giant drow strike force that descended on the Council of Spiders. All the players seemed intent on coming back, which is great, but there was no way to keep running the season for a table of eleven. So I made a call for new DM's. Worked out one of the vets who is pretty new to DMing, but experienced with the rules, to take over a second table starting this week. I decided to wait and see what players would make up my table and retcon Session 4 to only include them and go from there.

This week went well enough. We ended up with enough for two tables of five players and there were two people that missed who could be back again in the future so an even six/six perhaps down the line. I really love that we're back up to two tables. It was like that when I joined the group over a year ago and quickly diminished down to one. It wasn't without some issues. The DM for table two is still pretty new to DMing 4e, but he's eager to work at it and that's what counts in my book. We all have to start at some point. A lot of the vets playing at the time had to walk me through my first sessions of 4e which happened to be LFR modules. Looking back over season 08 of Encounters, my first season to run, I realize a lot of mistakes and problems I had. Certainly a learning process, but this was a great start for the rest of the season in my book.

Next week is primarily a roleplaying session and I'll be interested in seeing how that plays out. This is the first Encounters season I have seen where there has been such a huge level of divergence that can occur. Speaking of divergence, I really wish I could clone myself to watch over Table 2's sessions as well. The key NPC to rescue died in their run this week so already each Table has grown off into a different direction. Good times, but in any case here's a double-shot of summaries:

Session 04: Wizard Clash
-Once more, the party gathered in the same small cavern in the Eastways where their adventure had first started. However, this time there were some new faces and one of their three leaders were missing. Ash'ala Melarn was quick to explain the situation. She explained that a certain faction, the Council of Spiders, having taken Lolth's demand for the Demon Weave to its extreme feel that wizards now deserve a seat on the Ruling Council of Menzoberranzan. Dangerous and foolish ideals, in Ash'ala's own words.

-Smirking, Ro'kolor questioned if the group was curious about the new faces and the absence of Hoshtar. From the last mission, only Zarra Melarn and Solvayas were present. Stating that he needed further training, Hoshtar had relieved Phaeqel of his duties and assigned a more experienced mage, Drisdhaun Xorlarrin in his stead. Zaketrin had matters of her own to deal with among House Melarn. Furthermore, with a slew of new jobs coming in Ro'kolor was forced to rearrange the duties of his men. To make up for the differences, he brought forth Charon and Belgos to bolster the party's strength.

-As for Hosthar, Ash'ala took over explaining as she told the party that he had been kidnapped by the Council of Spiders. They had learned that the Council was using a building in the ruins of the old compound of House Srune'Lett as a meeting place and suspected that Hoshtar was held there.

-Ro'kolor noted that moving against them openly would be unwise as it might force the issue to a head and stir up open warfare. He added that House Baenre wouldn't want that. This confirmed, for the first time, exactly what House had employed the Bregan D'aerthe to act on their behalf in these matters. Smiling, Ash'ala granted the party their mission: find the Council members by any means, rescue Hoshtar and don't get discovered.

-After a short break to confer with their respective members in private, the faction representatives bid the party farewell as they set off for their destination. House Srune'Lett fell during the War of the Spider Queen, and its impressive compound in the neighborhood of Narbondellyn, a fashionable district of elegant manors, eclectic artisans and rising socialites, fell with them. In the midst of such sophistication, the ruins of the Srune'Lett compound made for a terrible blemish. The walls surrounding the compound were crumbled and breached in several locations. The tall spires that was once its most prominent feature held a gaping hole near its top.

-According to the intelligence given to them, the party knew the wizards were hiding in one of the smaller buildings; which were still mostly intact. As they approached, they could see black curtains hanging over windows, suggesting that the place was indeed inhabited and perhaps being used for secret purposes.

-Following a wide set of stone steps, the party entered an open plaza with a large basin of water set in the floor. Ahead, they saw doors leading in the building to the left, to the right and straight ahead. Standing near the doors were two sentries with long spears in defensive stances. Upon sighting the party, they shifted nervously in place.

-Approaching the guards, Solvayas and Charon managed to convince them that they were there for Hoshtar; a veiled truth. The guards automatically assumed Hoshtar had sent for allies to come join in the talks as well. This reference brought suspicion among the party. However, the way inside was cleared and thus they advanced. Within the party passed several spellcasters. Some resided in a large area designed as personal sleeping quarters and another long hallway held a library. Curiously, some of these members of the Council of Spiders bore the masks of House Xorlarrin members.

-In the central chamber, the group meet with an elderly member of the Council of Spiders. He seemed friendly and eager to have more recruits for their cause. However, little seemed outwardly aggressive about his feelings on the matter. The wizard confirmed that Hoshtar was present for a peaceful meeting with his leaders. However, just then a deep gong resounded through the complex. At this warning sign, all those present labeled the party as intruders and attacked.

-The ensuing battle was quite fierce. Surrounded on all sides, the party fought a tough battle despite many of the wizards present being only apprentices. Belgos, in particular, had a rough time as he found himself isolated and cornered in the library by one of the guards. However, with some quick footwork he was able to climb atop a bookshelf just in time to avoid a swing of the guard's spear. Running from the top of bookshelf to bookshelf, he used this vantage point to pepper his foes with arrows.

-At Zarra's command, the party made sure to incapacitate the wizards present; planning to take them in for harsh interrogation. As Solvayas used his spider form to encase the captives in webbing, they questioned the group learning that the masked members were in fact low ranking members of House Xorlarrin interested in the ideals of the Council of Spiders. Drisdhaun noted their names and meanwhile, Charon worked in the shadows out of sight carrying out the task Ro'kolor had appointed to the Bregan D'aerthe members among the party.

-With the main floor secured and knowing Hoshtar was down below, the party advanced following a spiral staircase to the lower level. There, they found a drow resting at a large desk, chair kicked back, holding a rapier and glaring towards them. "And so it begins," he said with a sneer, "Thank you, dear friends, for starting what I'm sure will be a perfectly lovely war."

Session 05: Secrets & Lies
-Faced with this mysterious drow, but noting his unwillingness to fight immediately, the party tried to question him as much as possible for what information could be gained. Introducing himself as Merinid Dalael, he refused to speak of his benefactors but merely said that they were no friends to the Spider Queen. Worried for Hoshtar, Drisdhaun asked of his fate. Merinid reassured them that he was alive as "his guest" and that he wouldn't be leaving soon.

-Curious about his connection in all of this, Solvayas questioned why the wizards upstairs thought Hoshtar was present as a guest. Merinid confirmed that this was the case. He had come for a meeting with elders of the Council of Spiders. However, that meeting was cut short and the elders would never speak again; after Merinid's intervention. Continuing this line of thought, Solvayas asked what Merinid wanted with a high ranking member of House Xorlarrin. However, laughing, Merinid informed the party that Hoshtar had already served his purpose: provoking the priestesses to strike against the Council of Spiders via the party who were little more than helpless pawns of the Spider Queen.

-Charon stated that it had been their task from the Bregan D'aerthe to recover contract. Solvayas added that their pride for completing contracts meant they couldn't back down. Merinid stated that he felt the same way and thus proposed they would simply have to clash and see whose resolve was superior. Kicking off from the desk, Merinid rolled back and escaped down the adjoined hallway as he left behind a cloud of darkness obscuring the path ahead.

-As the party rushed to try and catch up to the assassin, they were beset by mysterious creatures made from shadows. Some hunched over like small inhuman lurking beasts and yet others that seemed purely humanoid and clad in heavy armor. Another harsh battle awaited the party as these shadow creatures blocked their hopes of pursing Merinid who had all but vanished.

-Solvayas, taking the lead, felt the brunt of these creatures' wrath and it was only by Zarra's will to invoke Lolth's power that he remained in the fight. Meanwhile, Beglos and Charon acted at range firing arrows as support. As the opposition thinned, thanks in part due to Drisdhaun's use of arcane light to weaken the shadow-creatures' power, Charon rushed ahead hoping to find Hoshtar or track down Merinid. Opening the first door he came to and peering through, the rogue was surprised by the assassin taking a painful strike from his rapier.

-Cackling, Merinid rushed down the steps that were adjoined by this doorway happy to continue this game of cat and mouse with the party. However, his escape was cut short as Solvayas, tired of the games, summoned forth a swarm of spiders that tripped the agile assassin.

-As he fell, Merinid couldn't help but further taunt the party as he cried out, "Do you think the houses of these poor fools will suffer such an attack upon their members without retaliation? Do you think the wizards of the city will allow the slaughter of so many of their own to go unpunished? Tension is already at a boiling point, thanks to the Avatar of Lolth. You have simply provided the spark to ignite these flames!"

-Even as the party ganged up on him, Merinid managed to slip away and reach an alchemical lab at the end of the hallway. There, the party found the corpses of two Council wizards and Merinid who had Hoshtar held with a dagger at his throat. The Xorlarrin representative looked badly beaten, but still alive. Laughing, Merinid pointed out that Hoshtar was worth more alive to the party at this point than to him. If any approached him too close or continued their attacks then Hoshtar would die.

-Ever ready to accept such a challenge, Belgos drew a single arrow and aiming carefully he let a shot fly at Merinid. The hunter's aim struck true and as the arrow pierced Merinid's wrist, the assassin lost his grip on the dagger. Acting quickly, Solvayas rushed down the hall morphing into his spider form even as he moved using the momentum to slam against Hoshtar and force him free of Merinid's grasp. Disarmed and unbalanced, Drisdhaun moved in to finish things against the crafty assassin as he called forth bolts of magic missile rendering him unconscious.

-With Hoshtar saved, the party took a moment to treat his wounds ensuring he would be able to safely make the travel back home. However, Zarra demanded to know about Hoshtar's involvement with the Council of Spiders. However, from Hoshtar's point of view this was a simple matter. He explained that his cousin, Raelaryn, invited him to speak with a wizard of House Barrison Del'Armgo about the Council's aims.

-These were also the two who laid dead on the floor. They had hoped to secure Hoshtar's support knowing that such a well respected member of House Xorlarrin would surely draw many to their cause. Yet Hoshtar stated that he had no interest in the Council of Spiders. While he supported the crafting of the Demon Weave, he remained dedicated to Lolth's command.

-Further information came forth during these discussions as well. A number of wizards from Houses in Menzoberranzan had sided with the Council, but thus far no one prominent member had emerged to act as a guiding force; perhaps the role they desired Hoshtar to fill. The backbone of the Council is compromised of members from House Xorlarrin and House Barrison Del'Armgo; the two Houses that favor spellcasters and give their wizards the most authority and leeway in their actions.

-Before his death, Raelryn had mentioned to Hoshtar that he suspected that the Archmage of Menzoberranzan, Gromph Baenre himself, was sympathetic to the Council's cause and was contemplating giving his full support; yet no proof was provided. As for the assassin, Hoshtar was not familiar with him but knew it was clear that whoever he answered to was clearly trying to fan the sparks of tension into full on flames driving a wedge between priestesses and wizards to launch a civil war. He suggested they let Ro'kolor interrogate Merinid once they were back safely within the city.

-As the party prepared to transfer back their captives, they explored the alchemy lab. Several magic items were found, leftovers from eons ago when this site still found regular use. Zarra found Solvayas' actions suspicious and questioned him suspecting foul-play. He was quick to reply that he was searching the bodies for anything of value. Zarra found something off about his excuse. However, Charon quickly came to support his fellow mercenary backing up the story with some fast-talk. Uneasy, Zarra dropped the matter pleased enough that their mission had gone smoothly.

-More importantly, as he mulled over things, Drisdhaun had a revelation. Recalling a passage from an obscure history book he had once read, Drisdhaun identified the shadowy creatures that Merinid had employed as having a tie to the Shadowfell. In all of the history of Menzoberranzan, such creatures had ties to only one group: the Jaezred Chaulssin.

-They were a secretive, patriarchal order of assassins with mysterious ties to the Shadowfell. During the War of the Spider Queen over a century ago, the Jaezred Chaulssin spurred both a horde of demonic orcs and an army of duergar to attack Menzoberranzan. Their stated goal has always been to free the drow race from Lolth's tyranny by any means necessary. If they truly were active again, then starting a civil war easily fit their past methods.

-With such ominous events in the air, the party returned to check in with Ash'ala and Ro'kolor. Once the captives were secured, they came before the three representatives of the triumvirate. With grave interest they listened to the party's account of what had transpired. After the briefing was finished, a long silence fell as the drow pondered the significance of what was happening.

-"Well," Ash'ala said at last, "It appears Menzoberranzan lies on the brink of civil war, how will our houses respond? This requires much thought and discussion. I urge you all to spend the night to gather your thoughts. Tomorrow, we shall meet and discuss all that has transpired and discover the best course for our alliance to follow." Hoshtar and Ro'kolor gave their agreement and the party was dismissed with another mission accomplished.

-Once more, each leader me with their respective members to see how well their representatives handled the secret tasks appointed to them. First, Drisdhaun checked in to see how Hoshtar was doing. Hafnein had already told him of the task he granted to the up and coming wizard. Wasting no time, already recovering well, Hoshtar asked what Drisdhaun had learned. He was pleased to discover all the House Xorlarrin wizards had been spared death and furthermore, Drisdhaun had gathered all their names. Hosthar stated that he would pass this information on to Ravel, the head of their House and that Hafnein would most certainly be pleased as well.

-Elsewhere, Ash'ala conferred with Zarra to see what she had learned about Hoshtar's role in the situation. Zarra confirmed that Ash'ala's suspicions that Hoshtar had went willingly to meet with the Council of Spiders was true. However, Zarra went on to fully give the excuse Hoshtar had given and his sincerity in declining their offer. Still, Ash'ala felt uneasy knowing that Hoshtar carried out such actions in secrecy.

-Finally, Solvayas, Beglos and Charon met with Ro'kolor at one of the Bregan D'aerthe's usual haunts. They arrived just in time to see Merinid Dalael being escorted to the chambers below; assuredly facing cruel torture to pry any information he held. Eager to learn how they had performed their mission, Ro'kolor listened to their account. The three mercenaries had easily planted evidence of House Melarn's involvement throughout the building and at the same time, Solvayas had rather stealthily removed all traces of House Xorlarrin's presence without the rest of the party's knowledge. Laughing happily, Ro'kolor commended the trio on a job well done and assured them that this would be good for business in the future.

-The priestesses who desire to uphold the old ways of Lolth and preserve the status quo and the wizards that see the Demon Weave as Lolth's calling for those with arcane might to rise in rank and status. These two opposing forces seem to be drawing further and further into the fever pitch of war. Amid this uneasy tension, the party suspects, the Jaezred Chaulssin lurks manipulating both sides to promote an all out civil war that might tear the city apart. The party was left with much to think about. Tomorrow, the course of the triumvirate and perhaps even the future of Menzoberranzan would be decided...

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 03

It's hard to believe that the first Chapter of "Council of Spiders" has come to a close. This season is screaming along at top speed which is a stark contrast to how "Web of the Spider Queen" went. Tonight was the big climax against the initial antagonist who I think the module actually played rather well for a small time foe. I had some fun ad-libbing some lines causing some back and forth banter between her and our table's Mage. Clashes of idealism are always one of my favorite elements in these kinds of stories, so I am enjoying the split opinions on Lolth's will and the Demon Weave.

No real complications for this session on my end. I had fun with Iyelle's powers. Eowam's player didn't feel very threatened by the ongoing five poison damage until I stacked on her minor power that managed to hit and bump that up to 10 and tack on Weakened at the same time. Pretty standard set-up with the hobgoblins holding down a defensive line on behalf of their leader. Unfortunately, Zaketrin's player missed again and both Zarra and Syndrina were unable to make it out as well. Despite expecting a smaller sized party, we actually bumped back up to the usual amount as two new players turned out interested in trying out Encounters.

Initially they just wanted to watch, but at our encouragement we got them to each select and pre-gen and storm the battlefield as reinforcements sent by Menzoberranzan. Thus our cloud of heroes grows further adding Ryltar the Slayer and Belgos the Hunter. No write-ups on them yet. Since they came in during the middle of things, I decided we'd set their faction affiliation and other matters with the start of Chapter 2. Both new players caught on pretty quick and they seemed to have a good time, so that was excellent for me. I'm lucky to have a table that is mostly now veterans both to 4e and to Encounters so everyone tends to be helpful; making it easy to teach new players. I have a great time every week with Encounters, but there's something especially nice about new players turning out and having a good time as well. 

Without further ado, the end of Chapter 1:

Session 03: Sezz'ia Outpost
-To the right of the party a narrow passage quickly turned into natural tunnel again and then bent back to the left. On their left, a worked stone wall jutted into the passage, but around it was a large stone plaza. Acting carefully, Solvayas searched for traps but noted none in the area. At Eowam's reminder, they also checked the ceiling for lurking creatures but found it devoid of threats as well.

-Sneaking ahead, Eowam moved into the small area of worked stone to the left and discovered its far wall held arrow slits. As he approached he noticed a female drow in the garb of a Priestess standing in the central cavern; her gaze locked on a smooth wall of sheer obsidian. She seemed to be running her hands over the surface as if feeling for cracks or perhaps magic within the wall. Around her three burly hobgolbins in heavy armor were spread about. Each one fidgeted slightly and grimaced each time one would make a sound.

-As the rest of the party quietly tried to advance, Phaeqel accidentally made a sound drawing the attention of the hobgoblins. Acting quickly, Eowam had his spider companion crawl forth and move around at random acting as though it was the source of that sound. Realizing the source of the noise was only natural, buying the bluff, the hobgoblins went back to standing guard as the drow studied the wall undeterred.

-With the party positioned and ready, Phaeqel decided to cast Sleep as a means of taking their enemy by surprise. However, the spell had little effect only forcing a single hobgoblin to begin feeling drowsy. "I thought you dead. Never did I expect you'd catch up to me," the female drow called out having been alerted by the spellcasting.

-However, as she turned the drow Priestess was able to peer just beyond the end of the nearby wall and noticed Phaeqel and Eowam. This caused her cruel smile to drop as her eyes widened into shock and she called out, "You are not who I thought you were. What is your business here? House Faen Tlabbar has claimed this site." Meanwhile, the hobgoblins looked to her as if awaiting the command to attack.

-As the party engaged in dialogue, the priestess confirmed that she was Iyelle; the one who betrayed the original expedition party. She went on to explain that it was folly to claim the site's power for Lolth. She then added that it was not Lolth's will that guided this decision, but the wizards who desired such power themselves.

-Solvayas pointed out that it had been Lolth's command that the site be drained for her Demon Weave. However, Iyelle countered that the world had survived and their goddess prospered for eons without the Demon Weave. So too could it continue without it. The party re-affirmed that it had been orders from Lolth's prophet Danifae that all drow seek to support in creating the Demon Weave. This forced Iyelle to state that she could not believe the will of Lolth would involve elevating the males and wizards to the same status as her faithful priestesses.

-Phaeqel called back that one could not ignore the words of Lolth when spoken through her prophet. However, Iyelle refused to agree in any part. She shouted back that the party claimed to serve the will of Lolth and yet the change in status for wizards and males would undermine her old ways. They could not both serve and undermine her at the same time.

-However, the party countered that even Lolth's mind could change and their orders were clear. Realizing they could come to no understanding, Iyelled proclaimed that their wills would thus face off and victory would shine on the one that was just. Rushing in on her own, Iyelle unleashed a blast of venomous webs that enveloped Eowam. Though his magical amulet allowed him to resist the effects of the poison, he quickly found that overwhelmed. Chanting a prayer to Lolth, Iyelle strengthened the effect of the poison weakening Eowam as a side effect.

-Eager to fight back against the Priestess, Phaeqel rushed ahead of the group and found himself overwhelmed as his spell fizzled out with little effect. Marching in, two hobgolbins ganged up on the Mage quickly beating him to within an inch of his life. It seemed these hobgoblins were expertly trained and would prove troublesome.

-However, suddenly two new drow joined the fight. Rushing from the path the party had traveled, a powerful Slayer known as Ryltar and another Hunter named Belgos emerged. The duo had been additional reinforcements sent by the Triumvirate after Thezz returned to Menzoberranzan and spoke of the treachery that had occurred. With their numbers bolstered, things turned in favor of the party.

-Ryltar wasted no time charging into battle and quickly engaged the hobgoblins with his great sword alongside Solvayas and Chali; granting the latter a chance to weave some divine magic and heal Phaeqel's wounds. Meanwhile, Belgos took up rank with Eowam unleashing a hail of arrows at their enemy. Phaeqel proved little help as he continued to stumble over the proper incantations for his spells; failing to cast more often than not.

-Working together, they brought down each hobgoblin one by one until only Iyelle remained. Even in the face of defeat, the proud Priestess defiantly fought on. As they closed in, Solvayas called out to capture her alive so that she might be questioned further back in Menzoberranzan. Heeding this suggestion, Ryltar rushed in and struck Iyelle with the hilt of his blade rendering her unconscious. In this state, Solvayas used his wild shape form to tie the rogue priestess up in webbing and cover her mouth so they might transport her easily.

-With the battle resolved, the party began to look at the wall Iyelle had been studying. Standing before them perfectly smooth and straight, the wall was the dusky translucent gray of obsidian, though it lacked the fracture pattern typical of that stone. It extended all the way to the roof of the cavern, with no apparent cracks, inscriptions or other features marring its surface. The wall gave off a faint hum, though something didn't sound right about it.

-Studying it carefully, Belgos was able to make out that it was more than just a simple hum. In fact, it was two voices chanting something. Though it was difficult to make out the exact words. Listening carefully and using his arcane knowledge, Phaeqel was able to work out the two voices. The first was a woman's chanting a litany in Elven. He recalled this litany as a prayer to Lolth thanking her for all the blessings she bestowed on their race. The second was a male voice that was reciting syllables used by apprentice drow to help them memorized arcane principles. These basic chants were ones even Phaeqel learned as he began to master the spellcasting years ago.

-Placing his hand on the obsidian wall, Phaeqel began to chant along to the male voice. Cautious of his actions, Eowam drew and arrow to his great bow keeping it ready just in case. However, there was no threat. As Phaeqel continued to chant, the female voice grew louder as if trying to break his concentration. However, the Mage's resolve held and after chanting for a few minutes the wall opened revealing a passageway beyond.

-Beyond led to a small room of worked stone, opening up quickly into a small cavern that vibrated with power. A rainbow of crystals jutted from the cavern floor, walls and ceiling, sparkling with their own inner light. Every sound was answered by a chorus of soft echoes. In the center of the cavern, a particularly large crystal rested on its side, presenting a flat surface large enough to serve as an altar to the Goddess; the perfect place to perform the ritual. Nearby rested an enchanted totem and several blades splattered with blood suggesting the location had once been used to make sacrifices to Lolth.

-As they searched the cavern, Phaeqel was able to study the crystals. He sensed that the energy within them was a sort of Primordial power; exactly what they had been sent after. Solvayas claimed the enchanted totem and exploring elsewhere, Belgos discovered an enchanted bow to take. Elsewhere, Phaeqel came across a powerful orb likely left behind by an original resident of the outpost.

-Having fully explored the area, Phaeqel passed the ritual scroll to Solvayas and he led the party in carrying out their task. As they began to recite the chant from the scroll, the light shining inside the crystals extinguished for a moment. It returned a moment later, but not as bright, and as the ritual continued it grew darker.

-Across the cavern ceiling, however, some of the crystals shined as bright as ever, forming a pattern like a spider's web. The vibrations in the air grew faster, swelling from a low rumble to a high-pitched whine.

-At last, they reached the end of the ritual, the crystals forming the spiderweb pattern flashed with blinding light and then went out again, leaving the image seared into their eyes. The sound stopped, the air grew still and the cavern felt utterly empty of all arcane enregy. The Primordial power had been sent forth for Lolth's Demon Weave.

-Mission accomplished and with Iyelle captured, the party made their return to Menzoberranzan. The passage back through the Fardrimm was uneventful. Once they were back in the city, Priestess Ash'ala, Hoshtar and Ro'kolor listened to their report about the Faen Tlabbar expedition and the incident at Sezz'ia Outpost. They seemed most pleased with the group's efforts on their first mission. Hoshtar even broke a smile underneath his veil, and informed the party they were entitled to some well deserved rest before their next task.

-As the meeting was ended and the party went their separate ways, each of the three Triumvirate leaders arranged meetings with their supporters on the team. Priestess Ash'ala Melarn felt disatisfied that neither Zarra nor Zaketrin had the initiative to cleanse the ritual site with the unholy water as she instructed. She added that she would be watching their actions carefully from now on. Such failures could not be repeated.

-Meanwhile, Ro'kolor was pleased with Eowam and Solvayas' actions. With Iyelle captive, the Bregan D'aerthe would be able to easily break her spirit and pry out every last bit of information that the rogue Priestess held. Ro'kolor reassured the duo that he, and Menzoberranzan, would not soon forget their exemplary efforts.

-Finally, Hosthar met with Chali and Phaeqel asking what became of the letter he had asked them to retrieve. Nervous, Phaeqel had explained how the party overheard his inquries about the letter. After he retrieved it, Zarra and Zaketrin had demanded the letter. Fearing for it falling into the hands of House Melarn, Phaeqel had destroyed the letter.

-Hoshtar was severely displeased. He charged Phaeqel with questions about his decision noting that those who dealt in the arcane frequently handled secrets. Thus, he questioned why the Mage had not been more secretive about obtaining the letter. Phaeqel apologized, but could offer little as an excuse. Ultimately, Hoshtar decided to forego any sort of punishment since, at the least, the letter was prevented from falling into the hands of House Melarn.

-Hoshtar warned Phaeqel, however, the subsequent failure would not be tolerated. Furthermore, Hoshtar charged Chali with keeping an eye on Phaeqel. He added that their fates were essentially linked for as long as they served among the party that answered to  the Triumvirate. She would need to start keeping him in line for future missions.

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 02

The Council of Spiders continued this week among heavy rain in my area. Unfortunately, Zaketrin's player was unable to make it out. However, we had two new players at the table making up for it. One that had participated in several sessions of The Elder Elemental Eye and she brought along a friend completely new to D&D.

It's always pleasant to get new players. The veteran didn't make a character for herself so we got to crack out the new drow pregens. We ran into a curious problem when we discovered the Warpriest pregen used the name Zarra which our Cleric was already using via the random names off the character builder. Ironic situation so the player opted to lift the name Chali from the other female pregen. Using the pregen Warpriest and Chevalier we added these two new characters to the roster:

-Chali Xorlarrin: A Warpriest of House Xorlarrin. Forward thinking, she wholly supports Lolth's initiative in forming the Demon Weave and the power it could bring to the arcane focus her House holds.

-Syndrina Xorlarrin: A Paladin of Lolth within House Xorlarrin. Close friend of Chali and supportive of the same goals.

Overall the session went very well. In my eyes this was the typical filler episode that WOTC pads into Encounters. With a shorter season this time, I was a little disappointed to see a session spent on what amounted to a combat with a little bit of roleplaying at the end. Ultimately, nothing about the encounter really progresses the plot besides a few clues regarding the rogue Priestess. However, her bad nature was already established last time so this session really didn't change that much.

That being said, I had a lot of fun and hopefully our new players will stick things out to the end. Next session ends Chapter 1 (so soon compared to last season) which means House Melarn and the Bregan D'aerthe will be coming up on their secret goals. Since House Xorlarrin got theirs botched last time, it will be interesting to see how the remaining two factions carry out their business.

Session 02: Miners' Ambush
-As rocks crashed around the party, svirfneblin miners rushed forth ready for combat. One of the deep gnomes cried out, "The goblin's warning was true! They'll give us no mercy, so show none to the drow!" Fortunately, the party received additional support as two new drow appeared to assist them. Chali and Syndrina of House Xorlarrin. Concerned over how important the party's task was, Hoshtar ordered these two to head out and catch up to the group.

-Syndrina charged into the fray taking the lead and meeting the Svirfneblin's own Protectors head on. Chali followed suit creating a defensive line while the rest of the party filed in for combat. However, the party found itself outnumbered and swarmed by svirfneblin.

-Amid the chaos of battle, Solvayas found himself continually pursued by enemies becoming injured time and again. Only kept in the fight by the combined efforts of Zarra and Chali. Meanwhile, Eowam remained in the rear firing arrow after arrow. With a front line locked down by Syndrina, there was no hope for the enemy to reach the Hunter and deter his fire.

-From the back of the cavern, two svirfneblin's wielding slings seemed to lead the attacking group as they too unleashed a hail of ranged attacks; slinging stones at all those in sight. To the surprise of the party after a stone smashed against Zarra, it mystically bounced and ricocheted off striking Phaeqel. Taking advantage of this trick shot, the two Slingers became quite dangerous.

-Over time, the party began to take the advantage as they fought back the svirfneblin. However, the enemy was not without surprises of their own. As the party advanced forward, having cleared the side path of the cave system, Zarra found herself surprised near the rear of the group. Hidden among the rocks had been a lone svirfneblin waiting to ambush. Rushing up behind Zarra, he attempted to use a garrote to strangle her crying out that felling the Priestess would be enough.

-Not to be easily overcome, Zarra was able to break free of the choking hold and working with the party quickly fought back the stealthy attacker. Muttering arcane words, Phaeqel dominated the assassin's mind forcing the sfvirneblin to turn his dagger against himself; ending his own life. Without their support, the two sling-users were easily overwhelmed and as the final one became backed into a corner Syndrina struck the killing blow.

-In the aftermath, the party began to move towards the far end of the cave which would continue on to Sezz'ia. However, Eowam noticed something hiding in the darkness. Inspecting closer, with Solvayas at his side, he discovered a goblin. Capturing the cowering creature, the party confronted him about his involvement.

-The goblin introduced itself as Snut and begged for forgiveness. Snut explained that he had been paid to deliver a message to the sfvirneblin's leader about drow travelling through this tunnel. The message suggested that the drow would enslave anyone in sight, thus brewing anger among the svirfneblin for fear that their kind might be captured.When pressed, he quickly revealed that he did not know the name of who had paid him; only that it was a female drow from Menzoberranzan.

-After questioning further, Snut was able to reveal that the woman resembled Zarra. This led the party to conclude it was a Priestess of Lolth; perhaps the traitor from the Faen Tlabbar expedition. Eowamn intimidated the fearful goblin regarding the svirfneblin about if they had any valuables stashed nearby. Snut led them to a small side area where the svirfneblin stored a small collection of equipment. There among the gold Eowam found a magical great bow, Syndrina an enchanted long sword and Chali a shield of deflection.

-In return for his support, the party decided not to kill Snut. However, his actions against Menzoberranzan could not be ignored. Shifting into his spider-form, Solvayas webbed the goblin to the cave wall leaving him for dead unless he discovered a way to free himself. After taking a moment to rest and recover, the party forged on.

-Leaving behind the old mines, the party traveled another day through the winding passages of the Underdark toward the Sezz'ia outpost. At last, they reached an area of worked stone that suggested they must be at or near their destination.

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders Session 01

And so a new season of D&D Encounters has started. Like with Web of the Spider Queen, I'll be chronicling the progress of my table's adventure week by week. I am already a fan of drow, but there's a lot I find interesting with this season. The focus of the plot, the shift in scope to the evil side of the pond regarding this overall story about Lolth's Demon Weave, etc. A lot of interesting stuff. The whole three faction divide (Xorlarrin, Melarn and Bregan D'aerthe) gave me flashbacks of the Feywild season of Encounters.

Our table began with a party of five. The complete set of veterans from Web of the Spider Queen minus one who had to drop out due to potentially moving in the near future. He will certainly be missed, he brought a lot of my favorite story developments to last season, but the show must go on. This season seems to have a much more balanced party. They're rolling with a Cleric, Warlock, Mage, Druid and Hunter. The only major problems I see is, again, a lack of a Defender (nor anyone to be the "tank" of sorts) and a certain focus on ranged attacks. I find this funny since last season there was a huge focus towards melee. The party had five Strikers and a Leader. This time there are three Controllers, a Striker and a Leader.

As far as the factions, things were divided up pretty well. Two each for Melarn and Bregan D'aerthe leaving the remaining player as the sole representative of House Xoarlarrin. Taking a page from the Feywild season, which I played in, I used somewhat assigned seating placing each faction to their own side of the table. I think it's a neat punch to emphasize that divide. Yes, the party shares the same overall goal (and I did stress that fact). However, each faction has their own goals as well which they must try to accomplish even to the detriment of the others.

I prepared the secret goals on slips of paper and handed those out when the time came so that every player would be able to remember said goal over the course of Chapter 1. I was a little disappointed with the lack of roleplaying opportunities in the first session. I felt like we had some good moments with the expedition survivors as well as some inter-party conflict at the end. I suppose that feeling might be, in part, because last season had such a strong roleplaying-focused start at the Old Skull Inn.

Everyone seems to have eagerly embraced the Worth mechanic and its impact on roleplaying. When the House Xorlarrin made the go for his secret goal with some less than covert tactics, the two Melarn players picked up on it and quickly used their higher status to back the Xorlarrin Mage into the corner on the matter. In the end, his reactions not only cost him a loss of Worth, but also resulted in the failure of his secret goal. It was certainly an entertaining bit of roleplaying and I look forward to seeing how the player will handle his report of complete failure to Hoshtar at the end of the chapter.

Regardless, enough rambling:

Background:
Menzoberranzan is know and feared among even the heartiest folk of the Savage Frontier and the Sword Coast. It may not be the greatest city of the drow in Faerûn, but it might well be the most famous due to its activities in the surface world.

The city is a point of darkness even within the caverns of the Underdark. The dark elves revere the goddess Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders. To them, the other people of the Underdark are fit only to be slaves and sacrifices.

Hierarchy and political power mean everything to the nobles of Menzoberranzan. The highest political positions belong to the priestesses of Lolth, who are exclusively female. The ranks of wizards, rogues and warriors are mostly filled by males, who hold a much lower social station. The most powerful male in Menzoberranzan will never wield more political clout than the most powerful female.

In that context, it's sort of amazing that three powerful drow are working together in uniting members of their houses to pursue common goals. Our heroes are all young important drow assigned by their houses to work with this triumvirate. The three drow couldn't be more different. One is a wizard, a cousin of House Wizard Ravel Xorlarrin, named Hoshtar--a mysterious figure who covers his face with a red veil, following the tradition of his house. Then there's Priestess Ash'ala Melarn, third daughter of the first priestess of that house, who's proud and severe like most drow priestesses, draped in her robes of office. Next to these, the third member seems incongruous--a rakish fellow named Ro'kolor, a member of the Bregan D'aerthe.

The word of Lolth commands all drow. Their societies are based on precepts that please the Queen of Spiders. But now Lolth's plans endanger the power structure of Menzoberranzan, and its leaders must decide whether to follow her dictates or cling to the power they have fought and schemed to attain.

For as long as drow societies have existed in their current hierarchy, Lolth has demanded that the priestesses who serve her remain in charge. The male warriors and mages serve her in lower stations, but the priestesses must rule. Just recently, though, Lolth's ambition has made her covet a greater place in the pantheon of deities. She wants to command arcane magic, as the goddess Mystra did before her death and spin a new Demon Weave to replace Mystra's Weave; unraveled during the Spellplague. She has sent a prophet, Danifae Yauntyrr, to all cities of the drow expressing her ambition and commanding her followers to assist her efforts by channeling whatever remains of Mystra's power to Lolth.

Lolth's command threatens to upend the core beliefs of drow society, however, by elevating the wizards who draw on her new Demon Weave to a higher status; perhaps even equal to the priestesses. Will those who profess to follow her stay true to her commands, even if it means abdicating their positions of power? Or will they cling to their status and turn a deaf ear to Lolth's prophet Danifae, perhaps seeking to silence or discredit her? In Menzoberranzan, the social order stands balanced on a knife's edge.

Amid this turmoil, the triple coalition of House Xorlarrin, House Melarn and the Bregan D'aerthe have gathered a party and ordered them to meet in a small cavern at the Eastways, which lead out of Menzoberranzan, to recieve an important task...

Heroes:
1) Zarra Melarn: A high ranking Priestess of Lolth among House Melarn. A devout follower of Lolth who makes full use of her position of power within Menzoberranzan to enforce the Ways of the Spider Queen.

2) Zaketrin Melarn: A Warlock of House Melarn that supports their strict enforcement of Lolth's command. Born a male, to much shame of his parents, after being disowned by his mother Zaketrin began masquerading as a woman. This was a means to secure more power among Menzoberranzan society. Fiercely devoted, he desires to eradicate all enemies to Lolth's will.

3) Phaeqel Xorlarrin: A well respected Mage among House Xorlarrin. Hailing from a long line of charismatic individuals, Phaeqel acts as a diplomat dealing with inter-House matters. He also negotiates various deals in the many power plays that take place within Menzoberranzan.

4) Solvayas: A Druid abandoned in his youth and raised among the Bregan D'aerthe. Naturally gifted towards mastering Primal power, he opted to take upon the form of the spider when wildshaping due to its close ties their race.

5) Eowam: A Hunter and long time member of the Bregan D'aerthe. He specializes in operations deep in the Underdark and even beyond at the surface. As such, he has seen much more of the world than the rest of the party.

Locations:
-Menzoberranzan: Also known as the City of Spiders; it is a gigantic underground drow city-state. It is located in the Upper Northdark, about 2 miles below the Surbrin Valley, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills. Menzoberra the Kinless, a powerful priestess of Lolth, founded the city that bears her name in -3917 DR. By the wishes of Lady Lolth, she led seven drow families into the Northdark from the city of Golothaer, one of the southerly drow holdings of Great Bhaerynden. Their goal was to escape from the constant cycle of violence and death that so plagued that city. Lolth aided them on their journey directly, but only when it seemed like all hope was lost. After battling several of the Underdark's natives, they slew a bindip in -3917 DR that claimed a huge natural cave as its lair. The surviving drow took up residence in this cave, naming it after their leader.

The drow families, having no immediate external enemy, fell to attacking and undermining one another, exactly what they had hoped to escape, to the greater glory of their evil goddess, who loved chaos. The city's internal machinations and power struggles continued unabated for millennia. The Houses that grow weak were destroyed, and newer Houses rose up to find Lolth's favor. The full history of each House would constitute a nearly endless logbook of treachery, spite, and unceasing ambition.

-Fardrimm: The Fardrimm is a tunnel network in the Underdark connecting the North and the areas beneath Anauroch.

-Sezz'ia: An outpost in the Fardrimm created by House Shobalar. It was used as a site to conduct arcane research and holds an altar of great power; theorized to stem from an ancient primordial.

NPCs/Organizations:
-Lolth: The Queen of Spiders or Queen of the Demonweb Pits, is the goddess of the drow, a chaotic evil deity who revels in chaos. She patterns her life and the lives of her worshipers on a regimen of chaotic acts and the veneration of spiders. The way that new-born spider broods tear each other apart to survive especially appeals to her. She promotes this by encouraging her worshipers to kill their rivals, thus ensuring that they are the strongest of the 'brood'. Her love of chaos often makes her appear mad but the wise see her as a calculating individual who is always several steps ahead of those who believe that they can anticipate her. She is cruel and domineering, forcing her will upon her followers and her enemies, a will which instructs the strong to crush the weak in the most torturous way imaginable. Since the Spellplague, Lolth has set her sights on replacing Mystra as the master of arcane power.

-House Xorlarrin: The third drow house of Menzoberranzan. The nobles of House Xorlarrin wear masks and loose clothes to conceal their identities and genders. These paranoid wizards possess the strongest magical ability of all the houses and those who can't perform arcane magic don't live to adulthood. House Xorlarrin is dedicated to aiding Lolth in the creation of the Demon Weave.

-House Melarn: The seventh drow house of Menzoberranzan. The priestesses of House Melarn have appointed themselves the inquisitors of Lolth, rooting out any secret betrayal of the Way of Lolth or the worship of other deities among the members of other nble houses. Melarn is a militant house, led by their priestesses, ready to repel an attack from other houses--most of which despise the overzealous and self-righteous Melarn priestesses. House Melarn's primary concern is ensuring that Lolth's will is enacted at any cost.

-Bregan D'aerthe: This mercenary company, led by Jarlaxle Baenre, operates outside the law and works for the highest bidder. It's not a noble house, but rather a federation of assassins and spies whose members are in it for the money. Bregan D'aerthe is a wild card and it might end up on either side of the conflict.

-House Shobalar: A former drow house of Menzoberranzan. It was uncharacteristically reclusive, even by Menzoberranzan standards. Their house guard was made up of magically bred giant spiders. They were rumored to have dealings with arcane studies that ran counter to the Ways of Lolth. They were exterminated a century ago during a war.

-House Faen Tlabbar: A well respected drow house of Menzoberranzan. They are known to frequently act as allies to House Xorlarrin along with House Baenre.

-Thezz Tlabbar: One of the survivors from the original expedition party; along with Priestess Myaral Tlabbar who instructed him to act as her representative due to her injuries. He revealed to the party the treachery that brought ruin to the first expedition and was given the means to return to Menzoberranzan and get Myaral to safety.

-Iyelle Tlabbar: A Priestess of House Faen Tlabbar who betrayed the first expedition party. After baiting them into an attack by cave fishers, Iyelle attacked the group and then stole the components for the ritual they had been sent to carry out. It seemed that her intention was to prevent any survivors for completing their goal. However, her motives remain unknown.

Chapter 1

Session 01: Survivors
-Priestess Ash'ala Melarn, Hoshtar Xorlarrin and Ro'kolor of Bregan D'aerthe, representatives of the triumvirate of forces working together in Menzoberranzan, gathered in a small cavern in the Eastways that lead out of the city. There they met five drow who they had summoned from their respective factions; gathered to form a party tasked with carrying out a specific task.

-The trio mentioned House Shobalar who were wiped out during a war over a century ago; punished for distorting the Way of Lolth through elevating the arcane arts among their women over priesthood. Before the war, House Shobalar maintained a small outpost called Sezz'ia where they conducted arcane research. However, Sezz'ia has been lost for a hundred years and the tunnel leading to it sealed off.

-The trio tasked the party with finding Sezz'ia by heading into a region known as the Fardrimm. They explained that one expedition had already been sent to discover it; composed of members from House Faen Tlabbar. However, they had not returned. The party's goals would be two-fold. First, to follow the path of the original expedition group and learn what happened to them. Ash'ala seemed to fear that House Tlabbar's intentions might not be supporting Lolth's will. Second, the party was to locate the altar in Sezz'ia and drain its energy for the Spider Queen's new Demon Weave.

-Hosthar granted Phaeqel a scroll containing the ritual that would drain the altar. Ash'ala further explained that they suspected the energy came from an ancient primordial. Thus, its power will be very potent. There would certainly be danger, but the benefit to Lolth easily outweighed the risk.

-Before departing, ever cautious about a new mission, Eowam and Solvayas questioned about what to expect along the path. Ro'kolor warned the group that many foul creatures of the Underdark would likely lurk the area; not to mention other races that were unfriendly to the drow.

-As the party began to prepare their gear, the three leaders took a moment to speak to their representatives in private. Ash'ala to Zarra and Zaketrin, Ro'kolor to Solvayas and Eowam and finally Hoshtar to Phaeqel. To each, these three granted another task. A matter to be kept secret from the other two factions and that served only their group's own interests.

-With the party ready, Ro'kolor guided the party to the end of the Eastways and pointed them in the right direction before partying ways. The tunnel leading on hadn't seen use in decades; beyond the previous expedition party. After running straight for awhile, the tunnel began to wind, rise and fall. The first day of travel passed without incident. As the party camped for the night, they saw signs of a campsite made by the previous expedition. However, no clear signs of their fate could be discovered. The rest was uneasy as each faction held suspicion about the other.

-Early on the second day, the tunnel widened into a two-tiered cavern. Here, the party encountered cave fishers roaming freely. To make matters worse, the main path through the center of the room was blocked by a large acidic ochre jelly. Strewn about were signs of battle and several dead drow; the expedition party. Trails of blood led on beyond sight and the party realized they would need to make their way across to continue their investigation.

-The battle was fierce as the ochre jelly overwhelmed the party. It quickly injured Solvayas who only ran into more trouble as he tried to retreat to safety. From the ceiling, a hidden cave fisher angler struck out grasping Solvayas and dragging him beyond range for Zarra to offer any support.

-Meanwhile, Zaketrin and Eowam kept their distance slinging curses and arrows respectively as they fought back the horde of monsters. Phaeqel seemed to stumble across his spells mixing up words here and there, but supported the party when possible; even through ordering his Mage Hand to chuck a rock and knock one of the cave fisher's unconscious.

-Eventually, the party managed to slay all the monsters without any major injuries occurring. At the back area of the cavern, blood trails clearly headed on down a path showing the direction the expedition party's survivors must have taken. Following these signals, Eowam led the group to another nearby cavern.

-There, they discovered the few remaining survivors of the first expedition who were gravely injured. One, in better shape than the rest but in no means well enough to fight, rose to speak introducing himself as Thezz Tlabbar. Initially, he questioned who they were. Zarra, however, quickly stated who she was and realizing her status Thezz granted her the respect a Priestess of Lolth demanded.

-Thezz then introduced the expedition's leader: Myaral Tlabbar, a Priestess of House Tlabbar. However, she had been badly burned by the ochre jelly and had become permanently blind. In her injured and weakened state, she had appointed Thezz to speak on her behalf. Thezz then identified the other body with them: Guannerrae Tlabbar, a spellcaster who had already succumbed to his wounds. Thezz went on to state that the party ran afoul of the monsters because another Priestess in their group betrayed them.

-Solvayas questioned about this traitor and Thezz explained that her name was Iyelle Tlabbar. She was not well known among House Tlabbar; even for a Priestess. During her betrayal, she stole the components needed to perform the ritual; ensuring that any survivors could not carry on and complete the mission.

-As the party mulled over what to do, Phaeqel whispered something to Thezz. Noticing this, the rest of the party listened in easily overhearing the exhcange. It seemed Phaeqel was interested in a letter that one of the members in the expedition group was carrying. Thezz had replied that Guannerrae carried a letter. He had discovered it after his death, but had not bothered checking the contents.

-Phaeqel retrieved the letter. This action prompted suspicion from Zaketrin who then asked about the contents of the letter. Phaeqel remarked that it was of no importance. Zaketrin retorted that it would be for the best if Zarra were to see the contents of the letter. Realizing he had already been trapped, Phaequel defiantly refused. Convinced something was afoot, Zarra demanded that Phaeqel relinquish the letter to her.

-However, Phaeqel once again refused. Zarra reminded the Mage of his place in Menzoberranzan and that no man defied a Priestess of Lolth. Zaketrin added pressure to the matter stating that they would take it by force if needed. Solvayas and Eowam remained out of the matter since there was no benefit in supporting either side.

-Coming under such pressure, Phaeqel quickly weaved a spell igniting the letter on fire and burning it into ash. Though it had been his secretly appointed task to retrieve this letter (avoid reading it) and return it to Hoshtar when the party was back in Menzoberranan, Phaeqel felt it best to obliterate the message before allowing it to fall into the hands of House Melarn. Despite clear tension, the matter was dropped with the destruction of the letter.

-Thezz desired to return to Menzoberranzan and take Myaral so that she might be treated. However, they were very weak. Utilizing one of his rituals, Solvayas transferred some life force to each of them which allowed Zarra to mend some of their wounds; as a sign of respect between fellow Priestesses. Zarra could not accept a Priestess betraying Lolth's will and thus felt it fitting to unwind some of the problems she had caused. Solvayas and Eowam were quick to remind them, however, that they owed the Bregan D'aerthe a favor down the line.

-As they parted ways, the party continued on through winding paths that led past old mine shafts abandoned centuries ago. Old ruts in the floor showed the passage of mine carts and scrapes on the wall suggested that this part of the tunnel once saw heavy use.

-Suddenly, rocks crashed to the ground behind the party sealing off the path. Svirfneblin rushed out of the old tunnels. It was an ambush!