Five huge venemous spiders reared into view over the boulders ahead, their bulbous bodies covered in coarse hair. Others descended from great webs behind her, large beasts the size of dogs. Lisca swore under her breath and gripped her staff tightly, her two companions struggling to ready themselves.
Acting quickly, she dug into her pouches, casting flashpowder in the direction of several, stunning them into submission.
Her faithful lynx launched herself into the midst of the smaller spiders while the valiant hobbit Therenta
fought viciously with her dagger, her back to a stone pillar. Lisca swung her heavy staff in a circle,
smashing one arachnid to the ground with a wet thud.
The chittering of the spider brood rose louder and louder as more scuttling creatures closed in all around her and she swung her staff even more desperately, trying to fend them off. She felt the first bite in her leg, the burn of poison, and screamed, frantically kicking the arachnid away. The press of the foul bodies grew as their mandibles clutched at her legs and she dropped her staff in the panic, resorting to beating the creatures away with her fists.
It was when one of the foul creatures landed on her neck that fear overcame her and she clutched frantically at her hair, feeling foul liquid dripping from its mandibles. She stumbled, her leg numb from the earlier spider bite, and the creatures climbed her body, bearing her to the ground. The sound of Puflin's tremulous voice singing a song of exhortation was lost beneatch the stench and scrambling of the spiders, and the stabbing pain as their fangs bit into her flesh, over and over.
*bang bang bang*
"Madam! Madam Lisca, are you alright?" The sound of banging on her door came again and she woke with a start, her bedsheets soaked with sweat. The door burst open and the portly figure of Barliman Butterbur filled the opening.
"Madam Lisca, we heard you screaming!" he said, moving closer and holding a candle up. Lisca saw his eyes widen at the sight of her red, swollen face and arms. "Well bless my soul, what on earth has happened to you? And in my very own inn!"
"I'm fine" Licsa replied with difficulty. "Now leave me!"
"B..but" Barliman protested.
"Out...out!" she shouted, staggering to her feet and waving him towards the door. Stumbling akwardly across to the small washbasin she looked in the mirror, regarding the view there with cold detachment.
"It was worth it" she told herself. Fumbling awkwardly with swollen fingers, she opened the locks on her satchel and regarded the horde of relics inside. Judging by the warmth that emanated from some of the objects, they were old indeed, likely wrought with some ancient power and the skin on the back of her neck tingled as she regarded them again.
Already the effects of the poison were wearing off and in a few days she hoped to be able to leave her rooms at the Pony and begin her studies. Her heart thrilled at the prospect.
"Oh yes" she said again, "it *was* worth it!"
OOC- The full detail of Lisca's mission to the Trollshaws (to gain the Ruins of the Trollshaws deed) including field notes and screenshots, can be found here: http://warbandofimladris.guildportal.com/Guild.aspx?GuildID=348279&ForumID=1654298&TabID=2916097&TopicID=9225193#top
