Betrayed!

(Based on Betrayed! by Jim Bengtson in Dragon magazine #105, the ending is from my adventure, The Lorothim Letter)

Summary
The party arrives in the Lyonyan city of Dalruan carrying word from the priests in Aldbridge about the cultists' activities there. They arrive at the head temple of Tyr and end up having an interview with the heads of most of the good churches in the city, including some elven priests. After the general questioning, Hudora, Pancho and Anna are dismissed while Giovane, Harper and Raidne remain for a more in depth discussion of what they saw in the cultists' temple. The party's priests are dismissed, but asked if they can remain in the city for a few days for followup questions. Since the party has things to do here, they agree. The temple puts them up in a fine hotel for a few days, and they occasionally meet with some of the high priests for more discussions.
Meanwhile the party has other tasks. They shop for and buy quality warhorses to replace the average riding horses they had. Anna commissions a ring from a local jeweler for a magic item, but the first is flawed and she has to wait for another. Hudora buys a fine hand crossbow, Pancho a lute. Their next goal is the treasure map given to them by one of the townspeople they saved from ogres. The map leads into the orc held mountains north of Dalruan. Before they can depart, Marshal Isolde Oginsdottir, head of the High Lord's church, asks if they could help with an issue in the city of Gurdikar, which is on their way to the map's location. Gurdikar is ruled by a council of the major merchant houses instead of a mayor or city council. Something has happened to the heir of one of the houses and it may be foul play. The local High Lord's marshal requested assistance and Isolde thinks the party would be an excellent choice.
When the party arrives at Gurdikar, they meet with Eskan Colnet, current head of the House Colnet. He explains that his nephew Brannod, the current heir to the house, was killed by orcs while on a hunting trip in the mountains with his cousin Vasil of House Volenta. Vasil, one of his men and one of Brannod's bodyguards returned wounded with a story of how orcs set off a landslide on their camp and the rest of the party were killed. But, a few days later, one of Brannod's men turned up at a border fortress saying the ambush was planned and Volenta was behind it and Brannod was taken prisoner. Eskan asks them to travel to speak with the survivor and see if they can get enough clues to rescue Brannod.
The party leaves town after a quick resupply and heads out along the trade road to the border fortress. They arrive after dusk due to problems with Anna's horse. The surviving bodyguard explains that they had made camp and the attack began with boulders hurled down from the hill. Then orcs attacked as well. When most of the servants and guards were killed, Vasil and his man talked to the attackers, which also included some cloaked figures that he thought were elves, but he said they had the coldest voices he's heard from an elf. Raidne starts at that description.The maybe elves and orcs took away Brannod and a few other survivors. Vasil departed with an unconscious wounded member of Brannod's team since it would look odd if he and his man were the only survivors. After they left, more boulders came down on their camp, but they were thrown one at a time. The guardsman saw another elf on the hill; he was either a magically disguised giant or had the strength of one.
The party gets directions to the ambush site and makes plans to leave in the morning. Once they're alone, Raidne shares her fear that the "elves" were drow. They get rooms in the village beside the fort and prepare to head into the mountains in the morning. The next day is rainy and the adventurers head into the mountain. Along the way, they spot an old man missing his left arm watching them. When they approach, they see there is a bear sleeping in the bushes behind him. They ask him about dangers in the mountains and he replies "There are many threats in the mountains". When Raidne speaks, the bear stretches, wakes up, walks up to her and licks her face before laying down again. They ask the old man about drow and he replies "The Webmistress' servants are everywhere". When they leave, he gives them a druidic blessing and Raidne returns it. They find the ambush site, there are still remains buried under the rocks. Hudora searches and loots some of them before Giovane tells her to stop. But she does notice that the hunting party's weapons are gone. There are remains of tracks leading west, Raidne finds a family of raccoons and they agree the attackers came from the west. They head west and come to a split in the canyon and decide to make camp for the night, then head north in the morning, further into the mountains. They are ambushed by a group of orcs, coming down from the western slopes. Harper hits their leader with a crossbow bolt and almost kills him, Giovane drops a Shatter into the middle of the orcs. Hudora hides in a bush and pops out to drop an orc archer with a crossbow bolt. Anna and Pancho finish the wounded with Firebolts and Vicious Mockery. Searching their bodies turns up some of the hunting party's missing weapons and money bearing the mark of the city of Gurdikar. They track the orcs back to a cave and find a very nice hunting spear and a fancy long bow. Counting the bedrolls, two orcs are missing. They search around the cave and find a path leading south. Following the trail, Raidne slips and falls down the cliff, but Hudora saves her with a Feather Fall spell. The path leads to another cave, but the opening is laced with shimmering strands of giant spider silk…
The party prepares and moves into the caves, the webbing growing thicker on the floors and ceiling. Hudora hears clicking noises and retreats behind the party as giant spiders come out of the darkness. Anna strikes one with Firebolt and Harper finishes it with two sword strikes. Hudora snipes the second and Raidne rolls a Flaming Sphere into the spider. More spiders come out, hanging from the ceiling. Hudora snipes one and Anna finishes it. Raidne rolls her Flaming Sphere into another and Harper kills it. Pancho stabs one with his rapier and channels a Psychic Blade attack and Raidne finishes it with her Flaming Sphere. One of the dying spiders almost falls on Raidne, but Hudora again uses Feather Fall so Raidne can escape before she is crushed.
Moving past the spiders, they find a passage behind a curtain of webbing, it descends deep into the earth… There is also a secret door which Hudora checks for traps and opens. The secret door reveals a short hallway with a door at the opposite end. And another secret door on the left wall. Hudora opens the door at the end, but it is a fake door with a Glyph of Warding and fire fills the hallway, striking Hudora, Giovane and Raidne. They retreat and open the the secret door which reveals another passage with another secret door at the end. Opening that door reveals a long chamber furnished with tables, chairs and couches and a group of drow who are up and moving towards the door, having been alerted by the Glyph exploding.
One of the drow wizards casts Web into the hallway, trapping Anna, Hudora and Raidne. Harper casts Silence in the middle of the room, blocking most of the enemy spellcasters. Panco casts Enemies Abound on one of the drow soldiers; he turns and attacks a drow priestess who immobilizes the soldier with a Hold Person spell. Giovane charges into the room and goes hand to hand with the drow. Harper and Pancho join him and Raidne shapeshifts into a bear and joins the battle. Anna and Hudora can't get free and in desperation, Harper shoots a crossbow bolt with Fire Arrow on it to burn the web. Now free, Hudora starts sniping across the battle at various drow. Anna summons Melf's Minute Meteors and hurls them into groups of drow, alternating with Firebolt. More drow come from adjoining rooms and a few orcs also attack Pancho. The party grinds through the drow, but then another drow wizard appears and hits Harper and Raidne with a Lightning Bolt. Raidne takes enough damage to force her out of bear form and Harper casts Magic Circle to protect the party. The drow wizard runs into another room and shuts the door, Giovane opens it and sees TWO drow, the wizard and another priestess. He hits them with Thunderwave and closes the door. The party gets ready to go back in, but when the door is opened again, the drow are gone! Giovane casts Shatter into the room and the drow reappear as the mage is killed and his Invisibility spell ends. Giovane and Hudora kill the last drow priestess.
With all the active enemies dead, they search around. Most of the adjoining rooms are bedrooms, one is a kitchen with three female slaves. They search the bodies and Anna uses Detect Magic to pick out a few items. The party question the female slaves and they say yes, there are human prisoners here, but there are also more villains; the high priests, a drow female and human male. Realizing there are more enemies in the temple, the party withdraws and Raidne kinds a safe place in the forest to make camp.
After resting overnight, the party returns to the cave. They find a new Glyph of Warding on the entrance and Anna removes it with Dispel Magic. They brace and open the door, and find more enemies. Four drow zombies face the door, beyond them, three drow males and a female drider are waiting for the party. Giovane calls upon his god and destroys three of the zombies. Pancho casts Enemies Abound on a drow warrior and he attacks another. Harper slams the drider with Guiding Bolt and it shoots an arrow at her, but one of the drow gets in the way and the arrow hits him and sprays him with acid. Hudora snipes from the doorway. Anna is in a rage panic, faced with a drider, the boogeyman of elvish children. She overcharges a Magic Missile and hits the drider with five darts and follows with Fire Bolt. The drider gets a good shot and hits Pancho and Harper with Lightning Bolt. Pancho and Giovane fight the drow warriors, Raidne and Hudora finish the last zombie. With the lesser threats down, they pile on the drider and finish it. Giovane, Harper and Raidne cast some healing spells and they search the rest of the adjoining rooms, but find no new threats. They enter the last tunnel and head for where they believe the temple is.
They find the high priests' living quarters and Hudora and Pancho are wounded by a Glyph of Warding on a treasure box. Preparing to enter the main temple, the party is surprised when the doors are thrown open and two more giant spider creatures rush out. Pancho recognizes them as myrlochar, they are not true spiders, but demons who serve Lolth in the Abyss. Raidne goes into bear form to attack one of the demons, but is soon wounded and forced back to human form. She hits the demon with Moonbeam. Harper slams the monster with her longsword twice. It throws itself on her and she blocks most of its attacks with Shield. Pancho drives it away with Dissonant Whispers. Anna is also forced to cast Shield to defend against attacks, but Hudora and Giovane help finish that one. Following the fleeing demon, they enter Lolth's temple and find the human high priest waiting. Harper summons Spirit Guardians to protect them and the spirits smash the myrlochar. Giovane approaches and summons a Spiritual Weapon behind the priest. The priest tries to Banish Giovane, but fails. Hudora uses Hatred's Bite's power to see through spells and spots the female drow priestess to one side, hidden in the Astral Plane. While Giovane and the priest duel, Anna and Hudora snipe at him. Harper and Pancho face the drow priestess, she casts Black Tentacles into the party. They break free of the tentacles and charge the priestess who is cloaked in a purple mist that blocks their sight. Harper moves closer and the Spirit Guardians attack the drow, Pancho and Hudora shoot her. Giovane drops the male priest and then the kill the female drow as well. Searching the area, they find drider's lair and a cell bock for sacrificial victims. Brannod and two of his men are alive. They loot the bodies and Giovane, Harper, Raidne and Anna join forces to destroy the altar of the temple.
On the way back to Gurdikar, Brannod explains what he learned about his cousin's involvement with the drow. He wants to hire them to help capture Vasil for trial.

Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
Stacy, about Thieves' Guilds "They speak Thieves' Cant"
Jack "Thieves can't speak"

Stacy "Love unlocks all doors"
Jim "So do thieves' picks"

Talking about drow and how they feel about other races
Jim "Drow feel halflings are below notice"

The party talks to the old man
Brittany "Is this our save point?"
Jack "Do you want to save next to a bear?"

Discussing that the hunting trip was a pair of rich noble men and their retainers, is there any cash on the bodies?
Brittany <sings> "If I was a rich boy…"

Jim asks the party to roll perception checks and JoAnne comes up from downstairs
JoAnne "I could tell by the way you said "Roll for Perception" that you had an ambush"

Raidne slips and falls down the cliff because Brittany rolled poorly
Brittany "I have good rolls, it's just sometimes I don't"

Hudora hears loud clicking noises in the spider cave
Jack "Is this the Fire Swamp? We're waiting for the flame spurt"

An orc got a natural 20 on a wisdom saving throw
Nick "This orc reads the dictionary for fun"

Discussing attack options
Jack "You have options to put pointy things in people that don't like them"

A drow mage runs into a room and shuts the door
Jim "The door is made of wood"
Brittany "I turn into a beaver…"

Jack was having trouble with the Discord voice chat
Jim "You sound like you have the Darth Vader filter engaged"

Harper and Raidne are pulling Giovane out of a pit trap, but Harper 's grip slips and Raidne holds on
Stacy "With her bear hands"

The drow high priestess is in the Astral plane, Giovane is fighting the human priest
Jack "I'll kick the guy in his Astral plane"

The human priest has a dwarven war pick
Jack "Do you want to pick a fight with me?"