For tonight’s tale, we meet the cult of the spider. Their leader has been lurking in the shadows of all of these tales. He watched the wolves move into the mountain village, and he did nothing. He watched the river village fall into a state of ruin, and he did nothing. He watched the demented followers of the wolf of the mountain perpetrate their sick bone removal ritual on a lonely traveler, and he did nothing. Yet when the character known as the bird man started to manipulate the denizens of both villages, he started to plot in the darkness.             The birdman then used the bone removal ritual on the denizen of the river village to strengthen his control over them. When those lost souls howled through the ether, the spider answered their call. He took them in, listened to them, and he was angered. These lost souls could not forgive the torment they suffered at the hands of the birdman.             So they all discussed the matter in the darkness, and formed the cult of the spider. For his first act as their leader, he shook the strands of their web which had been woven throughout both villages. This act set events in motion that would send all the characters exactly where he wanted them to be.             Tonight, the trap is set, the pieces are in place, and their plan of dominion is enacted. They will capture the birdman and see that he suffers. They will then establish his rulership over both villages. Tonight, the chaos of the past comes to an end. Tonight is the night that order is established. This order is that of the cult of the spiders, and they will suffer no nonsense.             This tale marks the end of season one. Season two may follow shortly. For nothing is guaranteed on the River Road. This tale contains exposition, violence, profanity, antisocial behavior, and horror. Listener discretion is advised.