Threats in Concrete Webbing; an Army of Spiders & the End of the Spidersqueen

This Story Is True.

These words are mine but the tale belongs to others. This records events which took place in a chemical plant near to the city of Birmingham on the 26th August of 2007. These tales are brought from the words of those who lived them, and from the evidence presented, and it is dedicated to those who risked their lives to destroy a threat which would have extended beyond Birmingham.

May Luna grant forgiveness to him, and mercy to us all.

McCoy
Dreaming Moon of the Iminir
Librarian of the Aere Perennius

A Gathering of the People

WE gathered, called from across the country, scarce more than a dozen came to answer the call of the Shadowed Path. There were but two of that pack there to greet us, the Ithaeur Cipher and the cub Eleftheria. Of the rest of their pack of with their Alpha Jay, away stalking some shadowed path and unable to help with the threat they had called for aid from.

STILL we gathered, local packs fairly represented – David Lawnswood Calthorpe of the Wolves Rampant, Michael and Hagan of Gross Misconduct and Scott, Strikes-with-Might, quiet Mennina from the Wyre Forest – and were joined by others from further away – by Nounverber of the Committee of Public Safety of Sheffield, Captain Mal Richards, Ray Weston and Karei Saikoubi Tenjou of the Serene, Sucuri a packless lone-wolf, Xenophon of the Sturmjaeger and your humble chronicler, McCoy of the Aere Perennius, both coming from London.

THINGS went slowly – without the Alpha of the Shadowed Path there was no clear leadership – and with no local stepping forward it fell to one of the Iminir to provide a measure of leadership, in this case myself. Thought and suggestion was given, but our intelligence was limited as much as our strength – one of those few spirits who are our friends, the Wolf-brothers, brought word that others would join in our fight, from the other Packs of Birmingham, that they were to join us.

ALLIES were sought amongst the spirits of Birmingham, for they would fall beneath this army of Spiders, and allies were found. The Clockwork-King offered aid, for a future favour as is the way of the Shadow's denizens, and other Spirits waited to do battle should the Azlu march - which they would

QUICKLY then a plan was formed – simple as a plan must be when dealing with the unknown, and fighting alongside allies who are similarly unknown. Brave warriors all gathered, sombre with the knowledge of what was expected – clear on the objectives – and determined that it cost their lives the Queen of these Spider-hosts would perish.

Into the Parlor of the Spider

THE first step was to get close, then Nounverber along with David Lawnswood Calthorpe and the cub Eleftheria went to remove telephone and power coverage of the area – to disrupt any security and to remove any danger of the happenings within of reaching without. Without a backward glance they left, their work good as the power within vanished.

ENTRY through the razor-wire topped double fences of electrified wire, taller than two men, was found by a van – hurled by the well named Strikes-with-Might – and entry to the compound was gained.

SPEED was the key to the plan, this desperate plan, and so without hesitation the warband entered the dark concrete mass of a large chemical factory, into a stygian nightmare of emergency lighting, of pipes and of tubes, of concrete and steel, of drip and of echo.

SUDDENLY the floor burst away, with a clatter and crash of metal as an arachnid torso let out a hideous squeeling, striking fear, nay, terror into the stoutest of hearts and leaving only four bold souls to face the Azlu horror. Captain Richards, Sucuri, Xenophon and the local Michael stood fast and faced this creature – fighting it with tooth and claw, with greatsword black and moonless night, and with shotgun shell.

EVEN as Hagan clawed a hole through the side of the building to allow we others to enter, to come to the aid of those battling within, this first threat was surmounted, and deeper the three heroic figures of Michael, Sucuri and Richards continued within. Xenophon, veteran uratha, judged his hurts to be too severe to press within and retreated from the fray, to play no further part, his knowledge and skills with the Other denied to those who fought onwards.

IN two groups, divided but coming together, the Uratha descended. There was not a foot of group safe, there were no easy paths, but all descended, fighting onwards and downwards.

THROUGH the first passageway the trio of Full Moons pressed hard – finding themselves surrounded by many hundreds of tiny, poisonous spiders. Captain Richards opened fire with his shotgun – igniting dangerous chemicals to immolate these spiders, then gas to engulf all of these minuscule arachnoids, and leaving them with no clear way out.

GREAT Azlu warriors, massive in size and with great scything arms proved hard to fight, the first that those who came through the second passage fought was difficult till McCoy, the modest author of this, and Raymond Weston pinned it – the combination of Cipher’s fire, Karei Saikoubi Tenjou’s arrows and the sheer brute force of Hagan too much for it. A chill frost enough to destroy the swarm of spiders – ending this one menace for all time.

SUCURI and Captain Richards faced another of these great beasts, but Michael of the Gross Misconduct pack faced the brunt of its fury – his great blade carving huge gouges from its iron-hard chitin. As this beast finally fell there was no sign of Michael, and no body – even as the swarm of spiders poured from the shell of the giant one, engulfed by the fires raging all about.

REDUCED to but two whilst the others struggled with more of the great Azlu warriors a means to destroy the plant was looked for – fire suppression already extinguishing the flames raging through the factory floor. They divided, Sucuri searching for the others, Captain Richards pressing on in search of the control room.

GRAPPLING a huge spider-beast your chronicler was sorely beset and was overcome by the battle-madness, so much so that he awoke outside of the building, the spider was slain by those bold warriors with whom he had campaigned, and who pressed onwards.

THOSE bold companions pressed ever onwards, despite wounds and hardships. Hagan was particularly unsettled, tired and worn he threw himself into that madness of battle and allowed his Rage to overtake him. Raymond Weston took quick action and calling upon the strength of mind granted to all Iminir instructed the Suthar Anzuth to attack the spiders – and without care for his skin Hagan did so, driven by his terrible anger to destroy them all, or to die trying.

MEANWHILE as Sucuri found his way blocked by falling building and fires Captain Richards pressed onwards, seeking the Queen who they had come to slay. Seeking he did and finding he did too – in a vast chamber swathed in webs, with sacks full to bursting with thousand upon thousand of spiders eggs. What he took at first thought for a great engine, or perhaps a truck, lit only by the torch on the end of Captain Richard’s shotgun was the Spidersqueen, the mother of the abominations that had been faced so far.

WITH a primal howl of anger Captain Richards met the Queen, tooth and claw against chitin and spines. The Queen was able to get a grip on the bold Captain and overcame even the might of a Rahu, pinning him to inject her foul poisons, then twining him in spiders-silk, a grisly meal for later. Captain Richards did not fall victim to the poison, but realising this great Spider-beast was too much even for him allowed himself to be mistaken for dead, calling upon the Gifts of the Spirits to fool the sharp senses of this mammoth Sartha.

FOLLOWING the sense of his Alpha Raymond led the last remaining few, the bold and brave souls who struggled onwards despite carrying desperate wounds, to that same cavern where Captain Richards was entangled. Cipher went first in, trying to see a way through the thick wall of web when great jaws burst through and dragged him deep within.

INSTANTLY Hagan, whose path could be followed by the trail of blood he left, dived through the webs, clawing himself through, dragging himself bodily towards the Queen. Raymond searching for some weapon to use against it as the delicate Karei Saikoubi Tenjou sent a needle-pointed arrow into its hide, calling for her Alpha to show himself.

SHOW himself he did, bursting into the war-form of our people Captain Richards fell onto the Queen with a fury, climbing onto her back and striking great blows with his fists. Hagan, still channelling the Rage which is our curse and blessing both, leapt into the fray as Cipher was dropped from the Spidersqueen’s jaw, and called on the fire which was there to immolate her.

ARROW after arrow sought and found its target as fire licked around the massive limbs of this greatest of Azlu creatures, the two Rahu tearing into it. Captain Richards at last succeeded in ripping free a great plate of armoured chitin and cast it aside, allowing a single, graceful arrow to sink deeply into the eye of the beast, slaying it instantly. Even as hundreds upon hundreds of tiny spiders of many breeds poured out of the broken shell of this greatest of Spiders Raymond Weston again called upon the coldest of ice to freeze them – slaying this beast for good.

FURY abating both Hagen and Captain Richard, great heroes both, sank to their knees, nearly overcome with terrible, terrible wounds. With the aid of there companions they were able to leave, witnessing the terrible carnage as the few remaining spiders turned on each other, ripping each other apart. Quickly all gathered together to leave, limping and in pain, having done great deeds and deserving of great praise.

And so…

AND SO I call upon those who hear this to think of those few who entered into the lair of these spiders, to destroy them and to bring them down. To do honour to those who answered the call of the Shadowed Path, and to the two members of that Pack who received them. I charge all to consider that which was done, and to join with me if you will in honouring those who took part.

HAGAN, Garmir, Rahu and Suthar Anzuth, of the pack called Gross Misconduct for whose great anger and refusal to cease I name Unyielding-Fury.

KAREI Saikoubi Tenjou, Elodoth and Meninna of the pack named Serene for whose calm under pressure, and for whose marksmanship in battle I name Graceful-Rain.

CAPTAIN Richards, Sea-Watcher, Rahu and Iminir of the pack named Serene who fights with cunning, with flexibility and with dedication and who I name simply Steel.

CIPHER Ithaeur and Hirfathra Hissu.of the Shadowed Path for whose incendiary leanings I name Torch.

RAYMOND Weston, Cahalith and Iminir of the Serene, yours was the final blow to many of these Sartha faced along the way, your chill touch the last thing they felt, I name you Rime.

BY these names I do you all honour for you were at the kill of this creature, take them or not, others use them or not, for your deeds were well done, and are worth remembering.

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