The first day of Goodmonth is sunny and mild. After a good night's sleep you all awaken refreshed. After breakfast you load up your equipment on seven horses that Malbar has procured...and before midmorning you are riding out of the city of Hardby.
Hardby is located on the shores of a bay which opens onto Woolly Bay. Crossing a bridge takes you out of the city and into the farmlands which encircle it. A few miles up the road is the village of Earcroft.
Suddenly...out of a field of oats to your right jump 9 huge spiders!
"Ack! Wandering monsters!" exclaims Malbar...completely taken off guard...as are all of you except for Tekrem...
The spiders jump at you...
Tekrem tries to alert everyone and then readys her Mace to fight the spiders.
Darian sighs.
Tekrem dodges a bite from an incoming spider, but her swing goes awry with her mace.
Polymer3's horse takes a bite...and drops dead, throwing the magic user flying.
Similarily, Unwer's pony is bitten and falls.
When Polymer3 lands a spider jumps on her...biting her. She collapses...the flesh around the wound turning an ugly green in colour.
Everyone else is missed.
This segment, Darian, Tekrem and Malbar can act.
Darian casts a sleep spell on as many spiders as he can careful to avoid getting any of his companions.
Unfortunately he is under attack...the spider bites him but is unable to penetrate his chain mail. Nevertheless, his spell is ruined.
Tekrem swings her mace again...missing. She still manages to dodge the bite of the spider, though.
Malbar dodges the bite of his attacker, and brings his scimitar down on his foe, badly hurting it. His horse is bitten, though, and collapses under him.
Unwer, still reeling in surprise, is missed all the same.
No one is surprised, now.
Darian draws his sword and attacks the spider.
"Lore, try your sleep spell."
Lore takes a quick look around to make sure he is out of range of the attacking spiders and casts a sleep spell on them.
The two remaining horses and three of the spiders drop.
Tekrem mashes a sleeping spider - it had been attacking her.
Malbar likewise kills another.
A spider bites a sleeping horse and kills it.
Another spider leaps at Lore as he finishes his spell and bites him for five hit points of damage.
A second spider attacks Malbar...but misses.
Unwer faces off against another...but both miss. Another attacks him from behind...but misses as well.
Darian fans with his sword...but his target bites him...the poison almost makes him swoon, but he hangs on.
Darian swings again.
Both the elf and the spider miss.
Lore will try his best to stay out of combat, but will defend himself if he must. With that in mind, Lore draws a short sword. Just in time, too, as a spider leaps at him. Both miss.
Tekrem lands a solid blow on a spider for 7 hit points, as it tries to bite a horse.
Unwer and the spider he attacks both miss each other. His next attack nearly kills the spider, though. The second spider on him misses.
Malbar puts a significant dent in another spider, before being bitten for 5 hit points.
Tekrem agains connects against her spider, nearly killing it, as the horse escapes.
Lore takes a bite for 5 hit points of damage but hangs on against the poison. In turn he lands a solid hit against his foe.
Malbar connects again...chopping a spider in half.
Unwer likewise kills one of the spiders on him...as the second one bites him on the bum. The dwarf cries out and drops.
Darian and his spider trade misses again.
Tekrem and her spider miss, next.
Lore continues to whittle away at his foe...this time lopping off a leg.
Malbar attacks the spider that just dropped Unwer, and kills it with a single swing of his scimitar.
Darian finally hits his spider...sending a leg flying...
Three spiders remain, plus a sleeping one.
Tekrem finally connects again...mashing her foe to a pulp.
Lore is again bitten...for 5 hit points...but again he laughs off the effects of the poison. However, he does miss on his attack.
Darian again misses, but Malbar comes to his aid and kills the spider.
One remains...on Lore...
Both Lore and the spider miss...
Malbar moves in and drops the last monster with his scimitar.
The battle is over.
Malbar hurries over to Polymer3, taking out a vial as he does so. Opening her mouth, he pours the contents down her gullet.
Then, he takes out a second vial and does the same for Unwer.
"That's it for sweet water potions," he says, as the two slowly come around.
Three of the horses are dead...so you will be walking...
Lore puts away his short short and then takes a few minutes to check himself over...trying his best to bandage his wounds.
Darian walks over to the sleeping spider and slashes it into ribbons with his sword.
Malbar, after seeing to the injured party members, goes over and inspects the area that the spiders came from, but finds nothing.
You continue on your way...afoot.
A half-hour later your reach Earcroft. It is a small village, dependent on trade and farming. But, there is a stable here, and you procure replacement mounts.
You leave town on horseback.
You ride hard for the rest of the day, and by early evening you arrive at the town of Fairford. You stay the night at the Dog, a good inn, and press on in the morning, after buying a few last supplies.