Rangers of Shadow Deep – The Missing – The Infected Trees
Examining the bodies of the zombies, along with the other clues from the village, left little doubt. The village had been attacked by some horrific species of giant spider, whose venom reanimated the dead. Likely, they will have retreated to the nearest shelter to slowly feast upon the missing villagers. "I'm not sure if we'll find survivors or more zombies, but we have to try - and perhaps we can stop this from happening to other villages." "You know, Serrol, there's absolutely nothing I love more than spiders. Especially giant spiders. Even better, giant necromancer spiders with venom that animates the dead."
"Carov, this is not the time for joking."
"I disagree, Serrol", Carov said, his face serious for a moment.
"Joking reminds us that we're human - sorry Sak, human and elven. Human, Elven and alive."
Sakalas returned from his scouting.
"The tracks that Hildr found point to a dense copse of woods about an hour walk."
"Ok, team - let's go."
After walking cautiously, constantly on the look for threats, Serrol and his team reached the deepest part of the woods. "This must be the place" Carov said, looking at the strands of webbing hanging from the trees. In the distance, the team saw four very heavily webbed trees, with what appeared to be large egg sacks. Plus, scattered around the woods were five cocoons, roughly human-sized. And, of course, spiders.
"Burning those egg trees is priority number 1, team", Serrol said as he dashed forward, "But, if you can, check out those cocoons. There may be survivors."
The team dashed forward, as the spiders, sensing their approach, advanced on them. Skitter, their loyal hound, charged one advancing spider, but the spider was faster than even Skitter expected, its fangs sinking deep into Skitter, causing him to fall, twitching, to the ground. "Skitter! Damn you spiders! Damn you Shadowdeep!", Hildr shouted as she watched her hound fall.
As another spider climbed down from a distant tree, Serrol unleashed an arrow, pinning one of the attacking spiders to the ground. Carov reached one of the cocoons, searching it. "Hell and Damnation!" Carov muttered as he found the corpse of one of the villagers. "Dead, but not moving!" he shouted to the team.
Two spiders swarm Hildr, their fangs piercing her armor, causing her to drop next to Skitter. "By the gods above!" Serrol shouted, a feeling of doom coming over him.
Serrol launched an arrow at one of the spiders, but missed. Carov began uttering the words of a spell, launching a bolt of pure magic at one of the spiders that dropped Hildr, blowing it to pieces.
Sakalas continued to move, an arrow from his bow killing one of the spiders. Two more spiders swarmed him, his dagger and quick Elven reflexes allowing him to kill one as it leaped at him, and deflect the other enough that its fangs did not find flesh.
The team continued its advance. Serrol was bitten by one of the spiders, the venom coursing through his veins. "Serrol!", Carov shouted, watching Serrol stagger. "I'm OK. Keep to the mission!"
Sak's dagger found another spider, but as that spider died, it fired webbing at Sak, binding him. As he struggled to free himself, he twisted and noticed that they had missed a nest tree behind them. "Serrol! Carov! Behind us - another nest tree!"
"How did we miss that?" Serrol said, wincing as he continued to move towards the nest trees.
Serrol cut the second-to-last spider down, but the venom was slowing him down. Sakalas tore free from the webbing, and advanced to the closest cocoon. "Dead." Carov cast a spell, teleporting him to the furthest nest tree, but as he appeared, he found himself wrapped in webbing. "I..... Hate..... Spiders!"
As Carov struggled to free himself from the webbing, Sakalas put the first nest tree to the torch. Serrol, still moving slowly due to the venom, reached a nest tree, but had to rest before lighting his torch. The last spider reached Sakalas and reared to attack.
Serrol put the tree closes to him to the torch, then moved to the next, while Sakalas killed the last spider and moved to Carov, who was unable to free himself from the webbing, and was cursing up a storm.
Serrol and Sakalas put the remaining trees to the torch, freed Carov, and then tended to Hildr and Skitter. Both would survive, but Hildr would need time to heal.
The team was unusually subdued as they returned to Ranger Camp. The only survivor they found in the village died almost immediately, and there were no survivors in the woods. Their only consolation was that the spiders were dead, their eggs burned. Even Carov remained silent during the return. But they still lived, and knew that they could not stop the fight. The Shadowdeep was powerful, and they may not be able to stop its Evil. But they would fight until they could fight no more.
