Hunter Spiders

These surface drow, believing they have been forsaken by their Underdark-dwelling kin, lurk in the darkened reaches of Harken Forest. The poisonous intrigues of Erelhei-Cinlu pale in comparison to the effort these drow will undertake in their desire to return home.
Although they are primarily Underdark dwellers, drow have been known to send raiding parties to the surface to capture slaves and partake in all manner of intrigue. Erelhei-Cinlu, an infamous drow city, lies many miles below the Nentir Vale. Until recently, the two areas were connected by a tunnel that surfaced in the Ogrefist Hills. Three years ago, the tunnel collapsed a mile underground. The drow suspect that burrowing umber hulks might have triggered the collapse, and attempts to reopen the tunnel have been hampered by the hulks and other creatures. For whatever reason, the drow houses of Erelhei-Cinlu have made only half-hearted attempts to clear the passage. This situation has proven problematic for a drow raiding party that has been trapped on the surface since the tunnel collapsed. The raiders, calling themselves the Hunter Spiders, are members of House Despana. Upon discovering that their road to Erelhei-Cinlu had collapsed, they made camp in the Ogrefist Hills, fully expecting the tunnel to be cleared. After months of waiting, they became convinced that Erelhei-Cinlu had abandoned them, and they headed east into Harken Forest. This decision was especially hard for the group’s leader, Ti’irtha, the daughter of House Despana’s matron, Ilmirinza. Ti’irtha’s consort, Vhaelor, suspected that the forest might contain another passage connecting to a major Underdark artery called Torog’s Highway, because Harken Forest had witnessed many skirmishes between the elves, the eladrin, and the drow, and Vhaelor believed there was a tunnel to the Underdark hidden somewhere within. Ti’irtha turned to Lolth for guidance, and the goddess led her to a corner of Harken Forest known as the Spiderhaunt Thicket.
Temporary Home: North of the King’s Road, the leafy boughs of Harken Forest grow thorny and dense. Within, the Spiderhaunt Thicket is overgrown and nigh impenetrable. Amid the thorny brambles lie the ruins of ancient elven settlements, many swarming with arachnids or haunted by undead fey. Though they range far and wide, the Hunter Spiders call Spiderhaunt Thicket their temporary home, skulking among the ruins in search of hidden passages to the Underdark. This effort would be long and tedious were it not for the fact that they have captured numerous slaves
Slaves and Demons: The Hunter Spiders haunt the King’s Road, snatching travelers between Fallcrest and Harkenwold. When armed patrols make it difficult for them to carry out this tactic, the drow head north and set up ambushes along the Trade Road between Fallcrest and Thunderspire, although they face stiff competition there from the Raven Roost bandits (page 90). When pickings are slim, the Hunter Spiders are not afraid to creep into Fallcrest’s outlying farms under the shroud of night and snatch people from their beds. Rumors of “white-haired demons with obsidian skin” keep many people cowering under the covers all night.
Ti’irtha the Werespider: Control of the Spiderhaunt Thicket did not come without a price. Shortly after the Hunter Spiders arrived in the gnarled grove, Lolth saw fit to test them. Exploring the grove alone, Ti’irtha and Vhaelor discovered a small shrine to the Spider Goddess in one of the ruins. Ti’irtha murdered Vhaelor and spilled his blood on the spider-shaped altar as an offering. Rather than show her the way home, Lolth transformed Ti’irtha into a werespider, which allowed her to assume the form of a hideous black spider.
Small in Number: The Hunter Spiders have managed to survive on the surface without losing more than a few members. Still, they number only twenty-four, including Ti’irtha. A handful always remain in Spiderhaunt Thicket, overseeing the slaves while the others set ambushes. The first hint of trouble for beleaguered explorers in the area likely manifests as an enveloping cloud of darkness. Before the prey can spot the darklasher lurking in the trees overhead, masses of summoned spiders swarm over the victims, using poisonous fangs to deliver a multitude of bites. Suddenly, only the hardiest are left standing. These unfortunates are quickly brought down by the stinging lash of razor-edged scourges, hauled off with the other broken survivors, and quickly put to work scouring ruins for signs of hidden tunnels to the Underdark. The Hunter Spiders are willing to negotiate with anyone who claims to know the location of a passage to the Underdark. However, Ti’irtha is no stranger to the art of deception, and she expects proof before upholding her end of any bargain.