As the hours went on without an attack, tensions at the survivor's camp calmed. The unending rain kept the expedition members perpetually soaked, and few even bothered to seek what little shelter could be found. Thick streams and shallow pools covered more of the root-ground than not, so even places to sit were at a premium. The wet gloom, encroaching hunger, and adventurer casualties smothered the camp in a somber misery, and as the sun fell, so did morale.
The efforts of a dozen adventurers, including Autumn and Cameron Cole, poured into constructing a bonfire that could survive the rains. It required a raised platform of stone, molded from boulders one of the champions retrieved from the outskirts of the dense woods where exposed ground was still visible. A slanted awning of overlapping logs was constructed above it to shield it from the rain, and it took several adventurers with fire conjuring abilities to produce temperatures high enough to get the wet redwood to burn steady. Eventually, the large fire was burning intensely hot and dumping a thick cloud of smoke into the canopy overhead.
Scouts returned to camp with whatever small game they were able to hunt, mostly squirrels and frogs, which were added to the mostly make-shift cooking spits spaced around the perimeter of the bonfire. A few fighters traveled to the southwest, back towards the open redwood forest, and returned after a few hours with a large hog to feed the camp. Portions were small, and the meat was charred on the outside and undercooked on the inside, but few complained.
Sleep was rough, and many didn't sleep at all. Iris found that there was something about being soaked to the bone that seemed to tell her body not to sleep, even though the summer night was warm enough that she didn't fear succumbing to the elements. Still, she found a relatively dry branch beneath a thick patch of leaves, settled in with her back against the trunk, and did her best to sleep. The rain continued through the night, and Iris dreamed of a warm bed and cozy fireplace.
In the later hours of the following morning, scattered whoops and cheers greeted the healer's contingent as they arrived at the survivor's camp. There were a dozen healers, mostly in cleric's robes, and a dozen scouts and fighters who had previously returned to basecamp for injuries before the Matriarch encounter. They were now healed and refreshed, and were a welcome sight to their fellow party members and the expedition as a whole. They brought with them as many supplies as they could carry, including fresh water, rations, and tents.
Most of the tents were commandeered for the wounded, while water and rations were passed out equally amongst the adventurers. The healers got to work quickly, some treating the wounded survivors immediately while others recruited fighters and scouts to assist with construction efforts. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the dingy survivor's camp evolved into a surprisingly sophisticated healer's outpost, complete with a triage tent, intensive care tent, and recovery tent.
As lunchtime approached, the adventurer Iris had seen fighting with a warhammer alongside Whirl and Cameron Cole stomped into camp carrying an elk over his shoulders. Iris now knew the man to be a champion, and he had one of the largest statures she had ever seen, but the elk draped across both his shoulders still made him look like a child carrying a deer. He unceremoniously dropped it to the ground near the bonfire, to the applause of many, and then took a seat nearby to rest. Autumn was one of the first adventurers to descend upon the elk, but was soon joined by a small crowd that got to work on the great task of skinning it.
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Iris had seldom left her dry branch, not willing to risk losing the spot to someone else unless absolutely necessary. She had, however, been joined by Victoria, who sat cross-legged on the branch unconcerned with balance.
"Does that count?" Iris asked.
"Hmm?" Victoria said, having been lost in thought.
"The elk," Iris nodded towards the bonfire, "does that count for your quest?"
Victoria thought it over for a moment, "I guess it does. The quest did specify not to kill any of them, but since I didn't, I suppose it would be valuable to document their internal anatomy."
"And what they taste like," Iris added, "I think Autumn would be pissed if she found out you didn't include that in your report."
Victoria laughed slightly, "you're probably right."
Iris handed Victoria her notebook, which she'd been keeping in the bottomless bag so it wouldn't get wet. They didn't have the clearest view of the skinning from their vantage point, but it went without saying that Victoria didn't want to re-enter the downpour just to get a better look, so instead she used her disembodied vision ability to watch from afar, still scribbling notes without seeing the pages.
Lunchtime came and went as the elk was being prepared, but there were enough rations and small game to satiate most of the camp throughout the afternoon. The massive chunks of elk meat were finished cooking early in the evening, and Cameron Cole alongside Ranger Kerrick oversaw the rationing to ensure everyone got a fair amount. There were a few squabbles over shares, but they ended at shoves and harsh words. After each adventurer received a hefty carving of meat, portions were set aside for the unconscious casualties should any of them awake soon, and there was still enough left over for a round of seconds.
The meat was prepared much more delicately than the hog had been the night before, with no one involved in cooking it wanting to waste premium game on subpar cooking. It was only faintly seasoned, but it was tender and juicy, and tasted smoky and sweet. Iris stashed her second portion in her bag for later, but most adventurers had no way of storing or preserving the meat and instead ate as much as they could force down. The camp grew calm and still again after dinner as the bloated adventurers rested from their hearty meal.
The Dreamweaver took advantage of this time to step up in front of the bonfire -- which had become the center of camp around which most people gathered -- and address the adventurers. She spoke softer and more casually than her previous addresses, letting her exhaustion show rather than hide it. She began by thanking everyone, commending their teamwork and efforts, and assuring them that she believed they all had what it would take to see this mission through.
She carried that same tone as she moved into strategy and orders. The healers were to stay and establish a semi-permanent forward outpost for the expedition, and receive further reinforcements from basecamp. Wounded adventurers who were safe to travel but would be unable to fight any time soon would return to basecamp for further treatment and rest, while those who recovered would gather here and reinforce the front in groups. A small contingent of able-bodied adventurers would remain at the outpost for security and protection, while the bulk of the expedition's forces would push forward into the web and pursue the Matriarch.
The Dreamweaver didn't mince words when she reached this topic, "more of you will die. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but the mission must be completed, and there is only one path forward."
She went on to explain the plan. They would burn their way through the webs as much as possible, knowing full well that the storm would drastically hinder their progress. Behind the wall of flames would be a tight formation with melee fighters and defenders on the perimeter and ranged attackers at the center. She expected heavy resistance from the Matriarch's brood, but didn't expect to encounter the spider queen herself until they chased her down or cornered her. She ended her speech by encouraging everyone to spend the rest of the night with their parties, and to pray to their gods before they slept tonight.