While they took a short rest in the library, Dameron perused the books on the shelves, noticing one with the image of a sun.
Afterward, the Daring Friends entered the garden. As they moved farther into the cloistered garden, it seemed to grow into a forest. Nearby was a large oak tree. To the southwest was a collection of webs blocking a path. Color butterflies fluttered to the west. A bridge crossed a stream to the north. Balathasar used his broom to fly above the treeline, where he saw a rock garden further to the northwest and a chapel to the southeast. As he rose, he became dizzy and had to land. They approached the oak tree, where they saw a small worm, squealing, “Help, I’m stuck!” Balthasar helped slip it free and it thanked him while it grew into an enormous purple worm that quickly borrowed into the earth and disappeared. Approaching the glistening thick silvery webs, Dameron saw cocoons and eggs in the trees. As Dameron cut down the webs with his sickle, they heard chittering coming from the trees and man-spider appeared with more spiders following. Balthasar struck the drider with his Javelin of Lightning. A sword spider leaped down on Dameron and Gruffidd, knocking them prone. Rising, Dameron hit the drider with his Spiritual Weapon and the sword spider with a Sacred Flame. Gruffudd drained the sword spider with Blight. Spiders swarmed the friends, restraining Dameron with webs and biting him and Gruffudd. Balthasar struck the drider with his gladius. Stuck by the sword spider’s legs, Dameron cast Spirit Guardians and hit the drider with his Spiritual Hammer. Gruffudd cast Wall of Fire, destroying two spiders and the webs, dropping the rest to the ground. Two of the giant spiders disengaged and fled. Balthasar struck the drider with his gladius. The sword spider leaped up and pounced on Dameron and Gruffudd again. Dameron struck the drider with his Spiritual Hammer and blasted the sword spider with a Lightning Bolt, destroying a fleeing giant spider. Gruffudd cast Mass Cure Wounds. Balthasar slew the drider and Dameron slew the sword spider and used Arcane Muscles to rip free from the webs. The path beyond split in two, one path leading east to the chapel and the other leading west to a hill with sheep. While they took a short rest, there was a rumbling as a gigantic purple worm emerged from the ground. It vomited a handful of rare healing roots before plunging back into the earth. Rufus told Balthasar that there were friendly priests in the chapel and recalled a statue of a knight and a maiden somewhere in the garden. Rested, they headed west to the hills, where over two dozen sheep grazed on the emerald grass. They woke the nearby shepherd, who soon fell asleep again as he counted his sheep. Gruffudd spoke to the sheep, which grew hungry and attacked. Balthasar struck the sheep as Gruffudd disengaged and circled around. A wolf leaped from one of the sheep’s skin and breathed frost. Using his Rod of Rulership, Dameron commanded the sheep to attack the wolves and the wolves to attack the sheep. Two more sheep were revealed to be wolves. As Balthasar struck the wolf that was not charmed, the shepherd woke and got his sheep’s attention. Balthasar struck the wolf again. Gruffudd hit the wolf with a Fire Bolt. All the sheep began to disperse. Dameron struck the uncharmed wolf. The shepherd gathered one of his herds. Balthasar struck the wolf twice. Gruffudd slew the wolf with a Magic Missile from his wand. Commanding the sheep to gather, Dameron struck the uncharmed herd with a Sacred Flame. The shepherd fell asleep counting his sheep. Balthasar struck the uncharmed herd. Gruffudd tried to wake the shepherd. The uncharmed herd continued to battle with the charmed wolves. Dameron struck the uncharmed herd with a Sacred Flame. Balthasar struck the uncharmed herd and the charmed wolves brought them down. After waking Shepherd Dormahn, Dameron explained that the wolves brought down one of his herds, but they were no longer a threat. He rewarded Dameron with an ivory sheep charm and three sheep skins and told Balthasar where to find the statue of the knight and maiden to the north. Backtracking past the oak tree, they reached a wide stream with a hollow log passing over it. From beneath the bridge, a voice demanded a toll for crossing the bridge. Revealing itself as a large rock-skinned creature, it demanded over 300 gold coins to pass!
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