The strands are particularly strong and the dark Elves have difficulty hacking through them. The Fighter manages to cut the strands with his kukri. They progress slowly since the work is arduous. Clicks and clacks of small spiders resonate all around them. The creatures seem very sensitive to sounds. After sixty yards, a thick layered curtain of webbings blocks the entire passage. The air is filled with spider talk and feels oppressive. The Wizard hurls a fireball straight into the mass and burns away five full yards, thus roasting a couple of small spiders.

When they press onward, they suddenly hear a new sound. A flapping sound. A very ugly creature sails around the corner and Alvra identifies it as a (poisonous) spider eater. The species likes to place its eggs in paralyzed prey, so their offspring has something fresh to eat. The Fighter takes aim and throws his javelin at the flying insect-like beast. The spider eater tries to drive its stinger into Alvra in a ferocious attack. The corridor is filled with heavy angry buzzing. Phaedra, still carrying her spiked chain, lashes out at the beast, while Lilith attacks with her flail. Both score a hit. They soon get help from their brother, who fires Kelgore’s firebolt into the spider eater. Distracted by the combined attack, the animal misses Alvra with both stinger and mandibles and tries to fly away. But Alvra’s two-sided swords ends its life.

The Fighter notices a broad ledge and climbs upwards to inspect the spider eater’s lair. He finds five big purple stinking slimy eggs. Two of them disappear into his bag, the other three are smashed to pulp. All that is left are the remains of tiny small spider eater embryos. They will never live to see an Underworld day. Alvra climbs back down again and reports to the Cleric that he has destroyed the layer, not speaking a word about the two eggs in his bag.

Onward they go, with the Scout in the lead as usual. There are no more heavy webbings in front of them, though both sides of the tunnel are covered in spider silk. The hum of the spiders increases and before they know it, both brothers are stuck. Again. Immediately a swarm of small spiders comes down from the ceiling and attack the male Drow. Phaedra tries to hit the agile arachnids, but misses. Lilith smashes one of them into bits and pieces with a mighty blow, soon followed by a second. The Scout also manages to hit them now.

Two spiders bite Jharrath in his calves and the Wizard feels a paralysis taking hold of his legs. His spell fails. Alvra is being battered by four spiders at a time and one of them manages to crawl under his armor. He also feels the mandibles of the little beast. Their sisters are now under attack too but manage to avoid the poisonous effects of the bites.

Suddenly a huge spider appears, with fur and bladed mandibles that end in razor sharp points – and attacks the Fighter. Fortunately Alvra hears the approach and ducks instinctively, an action which probably saves his life, for the sword spider lashes out with all eight legs simultaneously. Lilith hits the beast with her spiritual weapon, after which the arachnid scuttles away.

Up ahead, two more large spider forms become visible. These have a small body and long, spindly legs, while yellow saliva drips on the grounds. Phaedra agrees on Alvra’s assumption that these are spitting spiders, which spit blotches of poison towards their victims. The Wizard casts a protective mage armor on himself.

The sword spider again comes near Alvra, who counterattacks with his kukri, hitting twice. The monster disappears into the heights of the tunnel, after which Lilith redirects her spiritual weapon from the sword to the spitting spider. The small spiders seem to finally give up on their fight, falling to the ground and crawling away. Then suddenly the sword spider jumps down on top of the Fighter, wounding him severely. His whole body is imprisoned by the eight razor sharp legs. Alvra’s brother come to the rescue and launches Kelgore’s firebolt onto the creature. To the Fighter’s relief it incinerates. He shakes off the ashes and quickly drinks a healing potion. Then he tries to escape his ghastly prison of spider legs, in which he finally succeeds.

One of the spitting spiders has found a target in Phaedra, spits and hits her neck. The glob has a devastating and paralyzing effect on the Scout and she lashes out at one of its legs. The fight surges back and forth, but in the end Phaedra finishes it off, though the fight has taken a heavy toll on the Scout.

The other spider tries to hit the Cleric, but misses. Jharrath uses his wand of magic missiles to hurt it, giving Lilith the chance to cast a shield of faith on herself. She manages just in time, for a set of formidable mandibles clicks close to her flesh. Her spiritual weapon continues to do damage, as does another magic missile. Jharrath too gets hit by a blotch of poison and is severely hampered by its effects. Together the siblings hack and slash at the last monstrous spider. It finally is killed by another missile.

Panting, the Xaniqos stand up straight and eye the havoc around them. Lilith is able to counter part of the effects the spitting spider’s poison is having on her sister and cures some of Alvra’s wounds. A long rest has to do the rest.