Red on both sides, this Card depicts a drow elven individual with 13 spiders crawling all over his black robes. It says, "The Webweaver's ambition has gained him power untold." Read aloud to use the power of this Card.

Dionysus "Watch it sonny!"

Dionysus A hand grabs you from behind before you enter.

Dionysus "You don't wanna go in there."

• Albert freezes at the voice
• Albert turns

Albert "Why not?"

Dionysus An old man in beaten old robes with straw-like beard & mustahce grins a toothless grin at you. "There's nothing in it. Nothing at all. Not even a floor, as it were. Or air."

Dionysus "Tell ya what, sonny. Pick a card,." He holds out a deck of beaten up ol cards.

Albert "Who's is it?"

• Albert peers down and draws one

Dionysus The card you draw is red on both sides.

• Albert peers at it

Dionysus The old man takes it back & stares in awe.

Dionysus "The Webweaver. A notably dangerous but powerful Card."

• Albert furrows his brow at his reaction

Dionysus "Sit down, Albert Renkarr. I've a story to tell you."

Albert "What does it mean?"

• Albert sits on the grass

Dionysus "Sit!"

Dionysus "Good. Now, where was I? Oh yes."

Dionysus "Once upon a time..."

Dionysus And you become enraptured.

Dionysus "There was a young drow elf named Raithev Sris--never repeat that name, by the way. You wouldn't like what happens when ya do--whose father was a tyrant in the household.

Dionysus "His mother was vain but caring as a drow elven mother can be. But she largely could not stand up to the cruel ministrations of the father.

Dionysus "This was back in the days when Ranu & Ailanea were one continent, on First Shem.

Dionysus "In those days, the gods were sealed away by the power of the Guardians.

Dionysus "And so it was that magic was more, well, /one/ back then. Mind & soul magic were indistinguishable, for one thing. This is relevant.

Dionysus "Wait.

Dionysus "See, the family Sris, which means 'Spider', was very resiatant to poisons, which was a curiosity. And the boy, Raithev, he went off to get away from the harsh home life.

Dionysus "His nation was allied with Vesturia, the dark empire.

Dionysus "So he became a mercenary for a while, & he studied magic, & he learned much.

Dionysus "As an elf, he lived long. In human society, he adapted to human ways.

Dionysus "He learned quickly.

Dionysus "And he gained power quickly.

Dionysus "He ended up a trusted public servant in Vesturia, & his poison resistance came to the attention of the government.

Dionysus "One, a madman named Erasmo Kruebbe, decided he would capture this drow & do experiments upon him.

Dionysus "But Raithev was crafty. He discovered what was planned, & he ran away, but not before sneaking into the Vesturian vaults.

Dionysus "He stole some Gifted Robes & made his way out into the world.

Dionysus "Where he, by chance or fate, met a being called the Gray Witch, daughter of Quilia, the Mother of Undeath--another name you shan't repeat, sir.

Dionysus "She offered him a Gifted Eye in exchange for his own eye, which she still has to this day.

Dionysus "He agreed to the exchange, though it risked his own soul & mortality.

Dionysus "And so it was he came to a small port in the Empire of Tara'hin with two Gifts.

Dionysus "There, he found Erasmo Kruebbe again, & sought to destroy him. He met others who got him involved in the events of the day.

Dionysus "One of which was Quothram Wayfoot, a conjuror of some skill.

Dionysus "He killed Quothram & made him a vampire slave, along with Erasmo as well.

Dionysus "And he went about the world causing hellish troubles.

Dionysus "Until one day, Carolia, the Mother of Hope--a name you can repeat til you're blue in the face, but she'd appreciate if you didn't--stole Quothram away from him.

Dionysus "It was not long after this Avagen--another name you can say all you want--former Father of Chaos found him.

Dionysus "And made a deal, in which Raithev would collect the prophecies of the day & deliver them to Avagen.

Dionysus "So Raithev learned then what the future had in store, for he gathered these prophecies, all but that of Hope.

Dionysus "And he gave them over to Avagen, but not before memorizing them himself.

Dionysus "And he used them against Avagen, & then Deserel--another name you can sing from the rooftops--the Mother of Darkness.

Dionysus "For he knew how he might use them to become a god himself.

Dionysus "There were many paths, but he chose the one that remained the safest bet--live or die, he would attain divinity.

Dionysus "He stole Deserel's soul at the moment of her death & waspursued by the heroes of the time, including the Queen of Cats--a fearsome foe--Balkis Windsong. Say her name only if you dare.

Dionysus "And he was slain, & gathered to the breast fo Quilia.

Dionysus "Where he became her dark consort. He spent millenia waiting while another became goddess of darkness.

Dionysus "And then, one day, he saw his opportunity, in the chaotic aftermath of the return of the gods for the third time to Shem.

Dionysus "Curiosuly, this was caused by the Queen of Cats. Funny how that works out.

Dionysus "So he slew Greneja--say it loud, sir--& became the new Father of Darkness.

Dionysus "And that's the end of that tale for now... Though ti goes on for quite some time. Here, take the Card."

Dionysus The enrapturement ends.