As you were trekking through the forest, leaving Hell's Keep behind you, the fog around you thickened and crackled with arcane power. You hurried on through the day, following the trail you knew had no branches, when the fog began to lift.
With the lifting, you found yourself far from your intended course and the sharp nose of Aon finding someone nearly invisible watching the group from the forest edge. His name was Jesse and he was the Ranger of a town named Haven-Fara.
He informed you that these areas were dangerous and you should come with him to talk to the town council. You agreed and followed him to the rim of a large valley, where the town of Haven-fara was encased in cobwebs, with large black spiders roaming over the top. You estimated about 40 spiders. Jess Furrier was as shocked as you in seeing the town and quickly scouted out the perimeter.
Finding a way in, you were attacked by 5 spiders. After defeating them, Jesse led you to a house where a pretty young lass, Patience, and her father, Dr. Gryll, are frantically examining the spiders as they scurry over the web above the house. You gather that Dr. Gryll is fascinated with spiders and is in seventh heaven being able to examine them so closely.
During one of his excursions out, he is snared by a spider, as is another party member. You get them back, killing another 5 spiders. Jess then is very adement in taking you to the 'Council' at the center of town, which is an old beached ship named the 'Good Fortune'. A knowledge check by the bard revealed this name to be the ship used by a Notorious Pirate named Captain Grist Haven, about 200 years ago.
You determine that going outside is not the best course of action, so you tunnel underground to the ship, coming up under it. You surprise the folk there, but before you start a fight, Jess explains why you are there.
The 'council' consisted of four men. Captian Arden 'Cap' Galen, Harc Longarm, Seth 'Keel' Friston and Westin Mimetae, but you find that Westin has been 'detained' by Captian Galen for insubordination when he tried to get the remaining folk to find out what happened to about 50 people who had mysteriously disappeared in the night.
Harc and Seth are excited to see you and offer you a reward for finding the townfolk, though for some reason Captain Galen does not seen to agree.
You decide to think it over and retreat back down the tunnel for a brief conference. Deciding you want more information, you tunnel over to where Jess says the jail is that holds Westin.
At first suspicious of you, Jess conviences Westin to allow you to help. He tells you of a tunnel that leads out of town. While you tunnel over there, Westin with you, you hear shouting behind you and realize that Galen and his cronies are trying to find you and have discovered that you let out Westin.
You surface and Westin quickly leads you over to the General Store and a secret passage. Descending, you are assaulted by four large spiders, but before anyone can react, Westin casts a spell that flashes and drives the spiders back to the forest. No one knows the spell he cast.
He asks you again to find out what happened to the missing townfolk and describes where the spider lair is located. Then follows you to the end of the tunnel before heading back into town.
In the forest, you are about half-way to your target, when out of the trees comes the largest spider any of you have ever seen. A Gargantuan spider who's legs were over 20' tall moved too quickly for any of you to escape. During the battle you cut off a number of legs, and the dwarf is alive only by his amazing fortitude saves.
Since I do not have the files from that time, I am granting you all the time to camp, rest-up and get back any spells you've lost. We will start at the entrance to the spiders lair, as described by Westin.
Please take the time to write a journal, so we can get back the 'personality' of your various characters. Especially since it has been so long since we played them.
This will be especially true when we get back to the main campaign, DM'd by Troy.