Chapter 6: A New Plan

...

We continued downstairs, and returned to the room full of silvery spiders. They rested on webs of light everywhere, forming a network of light that was almost impossible to bypass without at least breaking a few of the beams. I volunteered to venture forth, to see whether or not this was all an elaborate trap. I first cast a protective spell upon me first, so that Damien could fill the room with flames if the spiders became hostile. As I stepped forth, several spiders leapt out at me, however, by luck, I noticed as one collided into me that it harmlessly exploded into a small ball of fire because of my protective spell. I ran around the room as the rest of the spiders all crashed into me, with my spell protecting me against all harm.

However, though fortune had shielded me, the rest of my allies were not so fortunate. We entered a room that appeared to be some unholy chapel. Our old nemesis, the disfigured conjoined twins, were waiting, along with a cleric that we had formerly slain. The battle did not go well for us. Within seconds, Damien was slain by their spells, and so was Janne. Even I was targeted by a dreadful spell of Slay Living. Through Fharlanghn's blessing, I was able to survive, and help the rest of the party to retreat.

We returned to Ptolus to resurrect our fallen comrades and plan the next course of action. It was readily apparent that we could not face the drow at the height of her power. We needed to change our strategy. Instead of attacking them head on in the central spire, we would instead attack one of the other towers, possibly weakening them and making them have to strech their remaining forces out.

We returned the next day to the rampart of a tower we had seen earlier. We came in under the cover of a silence spell, so that they would be surprised. We managed to clear out several rooms of them without allowing them to shout off a warning. We even destroyed their kitchen, which ought to lower their morale; no army fights well without food. However, as we continued downstairs, we allowed a small group of drow escape, and sound the alarm. Even though we finished them off quickly afterwards, we still knew that the going would be tougher from then on...