Session 19. (7/8/09)

We rejoin Miyoshi, Yoshi, Kokuma and Haku hunkering down for the night in the now-vacant spider burrow. While Yoshi takes first watch, the others settle down to sleep, but is seems a night in a deadly spiders' burrow is not as peaceful as they imagined. Haku eventually dozes off and dreams of his life over the last two years. He remembers the joy of having his fourth child (and first son), the long days of work and nights of learning spells - Fronting the Storm, Soil Blessing, Arrow Force and Arrows of Water - and yet more joy when he learned that his few nights off had been rewarded by his wife becoming pregnant with their fifth child.

Kachamaru is also dreaming, but he is in Yakumo where he has been busy repairing iron tools. He dreams of his second child, a girl born last autumn to his wife, and of his studies of Ainu magic which kept him too busy to make any more additions to his family. Kachamaru wakes to find it still night time. Mineo has woken him, worried that the others have not returned. They set out to find them. Out on the broad plain of the Yakumo river they realise that finding four people in miles and miles of fields and forest on a pitch-dark night is not a simple proposition, but as they turn to head home again they are suddenly beset by two trapdoor spiders which have evidently been stalking them. One of the spiders bites Kachamaru for 5 damage, but he manages to resist its poison. Kachamaru draws his sword, ready to attack, but Mineo uses iaijutsu to draw and strike, hitting the second spider for 7 damage. They now set about the spiders with vigour, Kachamaru hitting for 8 damage and Mineo hitting for 7. The spiders attack back, and one bites Mineo, doing 1 damage and injecting a L3 poison. Mineo however resists the poison and responds with a blow for 8 damage, killing the beast. Kachamaru hits the remaining spider for 8 damage.

At about this time, Yoshi hears a commotion somewhere outside the burrow. Alarmed, he wakes the others who quickly don armour and emerge from the burrow, weapons at the ready. A short distance away they find Mineo and Kachamaru, the former standing by the corpse of a spider and the latter in the act of dealing the final killing blow to another. Relieved to be reunited, the two and the four return to the empty burrow to wait for first light and take on the next burrow.

In the morning the six adventurers venture forth to the third burrow, the scene of the night's action. Miyoshi and Mineo climb up the earth bank and try to lever open the trapdoor while the others wait out in front with bows and spells ready. The vibration from the climbers has evidently alerted the spiders inside and two juveniles dash out and attack Haku. One gets a bite but fortunately it was too young to have developed any poison. Haku grabs his tanto and stabs back for 1 point. Miyoshi and Mineo jump down to help and the others switch to weapons more suitable for melee. However, they are not needed as Miyoshi's and Mineo's first strikes both do exactly enough damage (9 and 7 points) to kill the two spiders. Haku heals himself with a spell, then the burrow suddenly disgorges another ten spiders - eight juveniles, a medium and a large totate-kumo. Miyoshi reacts quickest but misses. Yoshi still has his bow out and manages to get a shot off as the spiders choose their targets, and kills a juvenile. Miyoshi swings and hits the medium-sized spider but is bitten by one of the juveniles and is stunned. All the other spiders try to bite (three on Miyoshi) but they miss. Kachamaru hits a juvenile for 10, killing it. Not to be outdone, Kokuma kills a juvenile with a 22. Mineo takes on the largest spider and spears it for a critical 14 damage. Haku stabs a juve for 3.

Miyoshi is still standing stunned as arachnids nibble at his nethers, so Yoshi goes to help Mineo with the large spider. He lands a blow for 9 damage and Mineo adds 11. Kachamaru casts Stage Smoke to subdue the spiders but it has little effect. Kokuma goes to help Miyoshi and flattens the injured medium spider. Mineo finishes off the large spider. Yoshi moves on and (over)kills a juvenile with a 20-point critical and 9-point follow up. Only 4 spiders remain and they all miss on their attacks. Kokuma annihilates another of Miyoshi's juvenile tormentors with a critical 26. Haku stabs his juvenile opponent and kills it. Miyoshi and Kachamaru double-team a junior spider to death and Yoshi takes care of the last one.

Kachamaru casts Light and explores the burrow with Mineo and Kokuma. They find lots of spider eggs and smash them (except for one that Kachamaru takes with him, perhaps for his wife to rear). Then they burn the burrow. After some light healing, the six set off searching for the next burrow. Kokuma's tracking skill shines and soon burrow number four is found. Tired of trying to ambush the spiders, Miyoshi marches up to the door and knocks. Immediately, two normal-sized giant spiders emerge and try to bite him, but he is ready this time and they miss. As more spiders pour out of the burrow the fighters lay into them with relish.

Miyoshi hits a medium spider for minimum damage, Kokuma bashes it for 12, then Mineo hits it for a critical 18, killing it. Yoshi weighs in with a big 11 and a critical 14, killing the other medium-sizer. Kachamaru casts Limelight and throws a magical pot of lime into the burrow. The large spider bites Mineo for 5 damage and inflicts a L3 paralytic poison, which Mineo is unable to resist. Miyoshi hits the large spider for a maximum 11, Yoshi misses, Kachamaru adds a critical 22 and Kokuma finishes it off with a 9. Haku casts Pure Blood on Mineo to remove the poison.

The six now set about the seven juveniles. Miyoshi kills one with hits of 5 and 8; Yoshi another with hits of 8 and 11. Kachamaru plasters the area with spider blood from a critical 30 and follows up with another one-hit kill of 10. Kokuma squishes one with a 10, Mineo another with 11 and Haku, of all people, earns the epithet "Spider Slayer" with a critical stab for 8 points.

Yoshi, Miyoshi and Kokuma march into the burrow but find it empty. Kachamaru's lime pot landed on bare earth and failed to set anything on fire. The three smash all the eggs they find and set fire to the place properly.

Wasting no time, Kokuma and Yoshi use their skills and find two more burrows. What will they find? More of the same? Or something completely new?

And will Miyoshi manage to get the first attack?

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