Topic: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure (Ended) (Read 189913 times)

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #825 on:** August 02, 2017, 04:12:47 pm »

Alternate Universe
A dying world part 2

I can still hardly believe you actually managed it! The Remnant of the resistance has slaughtered anyone who attempted to come close!
The warrior does not answer, still busy applying the medicine to her wounds. The powders and leaves will do their work shortly, but the broken rib will be a problem. She'll have to rest and wait for it to heal, and that could take weeks. She'll take it over a punctured lung, but she always felt caged when she was forced to rest. The old man in front of her kept blabbering on, oblivious to her lack of care. She still listened, of course. Anything to distract from the burning sensation the medicine always seems to bring.
It's quite a tragedy, you know... Driders were notoriously intelligent, and the one you slew was also a wizard before the curse took her. If only she wasn't afflicted,
she would have gladly helped our efforts to restore our world. She and her group did everything in their power, but they just couldn't find a way. Eventually, the demons took them down, leaving just the leadership. The drider was a vicious fighter, and I suspect if it wasn't for her efforts, we wouldn't have the second amulet. She fought demon after demon, taking in their essence and souls. Her size should have indicated just how strong it had made her.
Sadly... She seemed to be the only remaining member of the resistance. You've been inside their final hide-out, no? Those maps were exceptional, one of the best finds yet on how the world looked before the cataclysm. It even had the fault lines to show where it would have cracked! Truly, some of the greatest minds were a part of that group!

The man looks forward, whimsically. He's one of the very few people to still remember the world before the cataclysm, but he was still a child then. The memories are vague, but it served to spark a great interest in the Old World. The warrior does not care overmuch of what came before. What does it matter, if all that's left is dust. Ask that dust if it cares to be remembered, and the silence will be the answer. Her armor lies on a mannequin, expertly crafted by the newest member of the settlement. A woodcarver should tend most of his time fletching arrows, but his art and mannequins have their uses. Mostly to calm the civilians. She's still quite glad she found the old armor. It's a beautiful set, even through the wear and tear of a century. Even if the cloth is tattered, and the signs left unread, the chain-mail protects the chest while plate is used to protect the limbs. The bucket helm would look silly, but the best part of the armor set is the bright color. Tattered cloth it may be, it hasn't lost its beautiful white color, alongside the metal which remained remarkably clean. She has been called the bright warrior as a result of her armor, and she rather likes the sound of that. Her sword comes from the same source, made from the same metal as the plate. She suspects it uses a unique alloy, based on its strength and luster. The blade reflects the surroundings beautifully, and the large pommel at the end of the unusually long hilt is beautiful. There's a good reason the warrior considers it her closest friend.

She gets up, groaning from exertion and pain. The ruins were a loathsome place, filled to the brim with possessed soldiers. They were clumsy, but still had an air of their former skill to them. They couldn't hit her often, and the few hits they managed did little. She was tough enough to handle most things at this point. The drider's swing did far more. The warrior wouldn't have stood a chance if she was still the slightest bit sane.
Before she lies back to nap, she wonders what she was like, before the curse eroded her mind. she had heard stories of her shield alone, that it could bring life to even the most barren lands. Alas, it was nowhere to be found. Most likely it was just a myth, like unicorns and ogres. The warrior suspected the three animated skeletons give credence to the idea that she was a necromancer, however. Seems like that's the only way magic ever appears in this world. In the hands of the centuries-old and maddened.

Hopefully, the final amulet isn't too far off. Perhaps then, the damage of the unleashed god upon the planet may be reversed. If nothing else, it could be an end to the curse that rests on the world.
She'll get it. Or she'll die trying.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #826 on:** August 03, 2017, 05:02:40 pm »

One school-year into your education.
A disquieting find.

So, after the exams were done (in which you passed with flying colors) you kind of expected two months of peace and quiet. You could finally take the time to REALLY explore the massive city over yonder, and catch up on how your friends are doing. Eveline had no issues with her exams, of course. You heard that one through rumors alone, mostly from Mahirma when you stopped her from beating up the resident class loser (not that you think that of her, but it's just the role she has). Again. At this point you're starting to suspect she does it more to be busy with you than to really bother Erika. You're not overly close to your classmates, admittedly, but you make it a point to try and protect Erika regardless. She looks like she could use the help, and you doubt your nights would improve if you felt guilty over not helping her. You're still not sleeping right, even though you've made large strides in the last few months. It's really only when you're alone with nothing but your thoughts you get a little bit stressed out again, but sleep comes soon enough. You make it a point to train before you go to bed, to make it easier to fall asleep. The crusaders are happy to have you as a sparring partner, or the hunters are willing to have an additional runner. If you weren't a drider, they wouldn't have accepted outsider help, you suspect. The hunters seem like a rather xenophobic bunch. They certainly keep up your cardio, though.

Regardless of how everything has been going, what you're dealing with right now may be a bigger problem. You've just been woken up by the headmaster himself!
For the first time ever, he seemed to be deathly serious. He was even clothed properly, which serves to show how intimidating his physique can be. Quietly, you were told to follow him. Outside, six crusaders were waiting with their weapons at the ready. They all wore their helmets, but you could feel the suspicion. You don't understand, what could you possibly have done wrong? The crusaders fall in behind you as you continue following the headmaster, who is taking large strides. The crusaders need to strain a little to keep up the pace. Eventually, you reach the wall of the student's town of the orc tower. There are city guards there, and an old man in a wheelchair is in the middle of their formation. After all this silence, your heart is ready to burst from the nerves. You weren't allowed to take your shield and weapon, but if it comes down to it...
You don't want it to come down to that.
Eventually, the man in the wheelchair breaks the silence.
Has anybody told you what this is about? You seem confused.
You implied she has been performing some misdeeds beyond the pale. I brought her here, nothing more.
The old shakes his head. He turns to you and says that you most likely did nothing wrong, but that it most certainly requires you to come take a look. One of the guards takes the handles on the back of the wheelchair. It makes you wonder why in the hell they pushed him up a hill just to tell you to follow anyway.
Maybe the man really likes to have a stroll?

The journey to the city is... chilly, to say the least. You're still in your nightgown, but the night in this country is still very warm. The moist air doesn't help. The real chill comes from the people around you. The guards don't pay any attention to you, while you still feel the gaze from behind the helmets of the crusaders. The headmaster's completely lack of bombastic story-telling is also VERY concerning. You have literally never EVER seen this man act different from how you met him, so he must take this very seriously. Eventually, you enter the city through the main gates, which are as large as they are decorated. A mural of the sentient alliance has been painted on, and kept in good repair. The city is a marvel in more than just size. Still, you're not exactly here for sightseeing. Your little undead lizard, that you reshaped in a tiny dragon, "licks" you with a flaming tongue. It has a soothing warmth to it.
You wander through a series of streets, with almost nobody wandering around this time of night. It's around midnight, if you'd have to guess, but it still seems odd there isn't anybody around. Eventually, you see a place guarded by the police of the town. They're the investigative arm of the guards, their purpose is to find criminals rather than stop the crime currently happening. Not that they'd just stand by, of course.

Only the man in the wheelchair and you are allowed to go forward. The man in the wheelchair is carefully maneuvered, and you are ordered to follow him exactly. There are many lines drawn on the ground, in the shape of people. There are some bodies still lying here, as well. This looks like it was a bloodbath, at least a dozen people died. However, there is indeed something here that is very interesting and disconcerting to you.
There's a dead drider here. She's blonde, has blue carapace, and looks to be of the poison variety. You mouth drops open;
This one looks JUST like you.
So, miss Austinus? Do you know this woman?
I... N-no. I don't... Is this a clone of me?
Doesn't look like it. There are some differences in the facial structure, and that corpse doesn't have your upper carapace. Different pedipalps, eight working eyes... Seems more like this one'd be your sister of some kind.
How did she die?
Scuffle with the guard. She was part of a group of thieves and murderers. They got sloppy this time around, fell right into our ambush. The drider was new,
but she took their orders to the letter. Strangely so, almost. The guards that fought reported her to have a blank expression and a very un-experienced fighting style. Only trouble we had was a sting, but it didn't do more than hurt the victim. Still, the similarities were so uncanny we thought it better to ask you about this.

What is your next action?

Investigate with the police
You need to get to the bottom of this, and you need help. This is far too uncanny to be anything other than closely related to you.

Investigate alone.
You'll get to the bottom of this, but you'd better do so under the radar. The police would get in the way of gathering information.

Stay out of this.
It's just a funky coincidence. Not your problem. Nope. Not you.

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This should be a longer story. While I wouldn't call it the end of the hiatus, I did want to return to the usual things again. not to mention introduce Sydney's improvement in her magic.

RAM · « **Reply #827 on:** August 03, 2017, 06:16:40 pm »

Well this is way too familiar. It kind of stinks of a trap to be honest. Find one of our relatives, a cousin or something, mind control them, send them out to get caught and lure us off into one of our solo-quests away from The Tower and its magical awareness... Or it could be a distraction to set up an ambush for when we get back, like what happened with The Bloody Whisperer. Yendys may not have been entirely whole, but she was nothing if not wilful, if this is the same cloning business then they have change the process a lot, and don't seem to be doing much with it. Given that both The Roach(Or whoever set up Yendy's project and blew up The Dwarf) and Yendys had mind magic and the warped-flesh monsters all seem to be thoroughly obedient no matter who they were, so Old Jesty does seem to have a thing for mind-control. Even if there is no mind-mage about, they could still have done this with a lobotomy and a bit of flesh-warping... One almost wonders if it is too obvious, but then again, Old Jesty never was one for subtlety. Its agents love lies well enough, but anything more complex than "we will be heading north after this, so wait until then for your big escape plan" seems to be beyond them. Not that we didn't fall for that one... Straight lies may not be subtle of clever, but they are effective.

I vote cooperate. Tell them that due to catching the eye of the wrong person we have some very powerful enemies who may have access to mind magic and mind-altering flesh-warping and this may well be some innocent relative of ours(or a non-relative that has been modified to look like us) being used in some scheme to attack or discredit us, or to get us to cause a distraction while they do something else. Their typical behaviour includes kidnapping and fleshwarping, so any rumours of monsters or missing persons, especially amongst the lower classes or travellers, who may not be noticed, could be relevant and might lead to a hostile cult with an army of monsters that regards us the last shiny pokemon that they need to complete their "Emotionally-Dependent Rangers" collection. Honestly, if we had a self-respect beam we could probably one-hit-knock-out any of the lieutenants...

We do not know any of our biological family. We saw the state of the other eggs of our brood and to the best of our knowledge they were baked-to-death by the sun and promptly collected and sold as raw materials. Our mother was presumably long gone and may have operated a cult and had a crazy stalker who tried to kill us, but for all we know they were wrong about our parentage. They were a crazy stalker afterall and had likely seen their crush's face in random stonework, stars, mushroom patches... We have met precisely two driders with physical similarities to us. One was an evil clone with no soul of its own that was very very dead the last time that we saw it. The other one is here, and we didn't have the faintest clue that she even existed until this moment, and is significantly less dead than our clone but barring some freakish trap is still dead enough for anyone's purposes... On the topic of relative levels of dead, we are a necromancer, and while we have never raised something this large, and may well not be capable of such, it is conceivably possible that our tragic look-alike here could be up and about with a blank expression again for long enough for someone to see her being taken into custody alive and ready to be examined for magical modification and potentially cured and questioned... Then again, they did make that one dwarf explode when we almost captured them, so they have demonstrated skill and inclination to watch all of their doings unfold and likely already know how all of this played out.

Or it could just be a coincidence. It wouldn't be the first time a drug addict did whatever they were told and we aren't the only blue drider in the world. It might be worth checking her over very closely, see if she has been modified and whether she has the hands of a tradesman or an aristocrat or a street urchin... Whether she treated her hair with anything distinctive and how much it has been through since it was applied, whether she has the scars of someone who has a history of bar-brawls or punishments for stealing/disobeying or battlefields. Driders don't exactly spend a lot of effort on child-care or community, so one could end up just about anywhere. For all we know there is a lord out there somewhere looking for their lost pet...

Typed prior to update:

Quote from: Liquefied Spleens on July 30, 2017, 04:16:18 pm

Due to the inherent problem in paying homage to driders in the religious sense, no attempt should be made in using her wish for worship to get closer.

We really are going to have to figure out drider worship at some point. Also, those spider-hybrids(spybrids? hyders?) don't seem terrible useful. They are physically capable but not so good with equipment. Numerous but not all that coordinated, at least in terms of formations or massed unit tactics, from what we have seen... They are loyal, but not so clever. But mostly they are just really really useless at keeping a low profile or avoiding bad press. There is not all that much practical difference between infecting someone with spider-slave and just killing them, they are unlikely to be heard from again in either case.

So, question is, should we try to unlock some sort of "priest" option that would presumably be a large investment per unit but hopefully result in someone who is still recogniseably themselves and empowered in a more convenient way. Would we choose such an option if it came up? Worship is natural for our species, but "natural" is very distant from "good" and it is unlikely that even a refined version of worship would completely avoid mental corruption. There is also the problem of infection. It is difficult to ensure that a priest doesn't go off converting people and having worshippers might grow the impulse to acquire worshippers... Then again, we are quite inclined to find ourselves in a heroic role, and driders do have a reputation of divinity, it is not impossible, nor even all that unlikely, that we might gain worshippers by accident, and while there is likely a measure of permission that must be granted on our end, it might only take a momentary lapse in judgement, and it would be best to have an alternative to the hybrids.

Still, that is all very speculative, in the more immediate term, Queen seems to have been influenced by The Crimson Curse rather more than the rest of us was. We should probably make some efforts to remind her of her proud drider heritage and that no bloated insect is going to get the best of her. We could also try some bonding exercises. We could let her decorate our room, or go out hunting, or, umm, give us fashion advice?

Hrmm, I wonder if we can get a perspective from Queen, in back-seat-dridver mode. It might be a bit too plot-revealing, and it may also be a bit dull and awkward, what with being a commentator rather than an active agent. But, meh, worth an idle thought.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #828 on:** August 04, 2017, 04:10:16 pm »

Yeah... I'm most certainly related to this. Not the first time I had to deal with a look-a-like. Maybe they changed the process in some way to make it less than perfect, or something else is going on.
Right... But you don't know anything about this? Nobody took any samples of any sort?
...I think there's enough "samples" of me in circulation that somebody could have built this one out of spare parts. I take part in tests to get my money.
The man in the wheelchair connects his palm directly to his face. He's not happy to hear that, and he groans in annoyance.
Oh dear god. Seriously? Why would you do that?
I really, unironically mean it when I say I did it for the science. I don't know a whole lot in how driders react to magic.
Fair enough. Would you like an escort back? Although, I suspect the headmaster will be enough. I don't know if you've ever seen him fight, but there isn't a damn thing that he couldn't handle.
I'm not leaving. I'm helping out in this. I'm not about to leave a bunch of almost-me's running around.
...Fair enough. You managed to almost best the black swordsman, so we know your martial history's solid, and the background check indicated this isn't even your first investigation. But regardless, I'm partnering you up with one of my detectives. His partner's in the infirmary, anyhow, so he'll need the help... Also of note, you'll be getting a uniform when you arrive at the station. A nightgown doesn't really come across too well. Not to mention it... leaves little to the imagination.
You blush a little at the reminder. Contrary to what he says, however, there really isn't. It's a bit too short to properly cover your navel, sure, but everything else isn't more or less exposed. Although you aren't wearing your binder at the moment, so that probably helps.

You get an escort to the station, but not before somebody properly explained the situation to the headmaster. Who almost returned to his bombastic persona, but was shushed by the police because most people are sleeping at this hour. So he merely nodded and started running back at speeds you had never seen before. You think he may have actually damaged the street with his starting step. Seriously, how strong is this guy?
Once you arrive in the station, you get the top half of a uniform. It was briefly considered to give you eight thigh-high boots, but it was deemed too wasteful, despite the comedic potential. The uniform itself looks quite nice. The vest has a warm red color, with a white undershirt and tied together with some fancy ropes. The shirt is rather soft, but the vest is downright rigid. It can probably stop an errand dagger slice, but not on the level of leather or anything.

The detective's office is marked with his name. "Harry Polindro". Odd name, but you suspect that will be the least weird thing you'll be seeing tonight.
When you enter his office, you see him lounging on his chair, leaning back with his feet on the desk. He's dressed quite conspicously, wearing a long brown coat and a wide-brimmed hat. The man is an orc, and his lower-left incisor is sticking out, almost like a tusk. He's also chewing on a small bit of wood. He's very tall, from what you can tell. Most of the height comes from his legs.
He merely cocks an eyebrow when you enter, and then snickers to himself.
Well, when they said I'd be getting help from a leggy dame, I figured it wouldn't be like that. Heheh.
Hilarious... My name's Sydney Aestinus. The drider they found looked just like me and I've had this kind of thing happen to me before.
Right, right. I got the skinny when you were changing outta your nightgown. Decided to start thinkin' on where we'd start out. Right now, I got two ideas.

He removes his feet from his desk, and gestures for you to come closer. He shows you a map of the city, which has been divided into districts. The city is so massive it would take hours to get from one point to another, but fortunately, the city's close connection with magic has permitted them to use many portals, allowing nigh-instant travel.

The man's ideas seem solid enough.

The Tiger's den.
An unofficial part of the city that's just too large to take down, and they know it. A large-scale attack on it would devastate the town, and the suspicion is that their boss has a dead man's switch that would turn the city into a complete hellhole. But, they tend to work with the police if things are a little beyond their morals. Slave trade is frowned upon,
and death cults are despised outright. Their boss has a real chip on his shoulder over it. You will be talking to a representative, of course.

The driders
There are five driders total, and four of them live together and run a sort of spa or relaxation center. They may have an idea of where other could have found a drider, considering they not only have a shared species, but a very good grasp on all sorts of rumors. The one that isn't part of the spa has her own dealings in the underground

Other?
You don't know this city as well as you should, but it's massive. You can probably think of something that just happens to be part of this.

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crazyabe · « **Reply #829 on:** August 04, 2017, 04:24:47 pm »

Might as well start with the people from the rare race we happen to be a part of.

RAM · « **Reply #830 on:** August 04, 2017, 05:17:30 pm »

Indeed. it is possible that there is a missing drider and the others would be more likely to know what happened. Also, it might be kind of nice to meet a drider that isn't insane, well, less insane then our double and that *shivers* drider that the duke was keeping. There really must be some sane driders out there, I mean, the worst we do is talk to ourselves, and get possessed by an alter-ego who eats people, but most of the time we are our perfectly ordinary self who only occasionally faces down mobs of vampires alone and lets people experiment upon us for science. Really, the very model of sanity, well, compared to people who worship a hinge-and-mould god as some sort of icon of racial purity, or someone who thinks that an exhibitionist is a good role-model for students of magic(this is how you get "summon body-oil" and "moisten tee-shirt" spells...), or an eldtritch weeaboo who lives in their cultists' basement... Surely these other driders will all be perfectly sane! Let's hope that Queen won't start making inappropriate comments... the last thing we need is to start convincing ourselves not to seek dominance, or claim a territory, or seek mates, or hold an Evil Counsel of Evil, or whatever it is that Queen would... We really need to know more about drider society. Maybe we are all incredibly social and just have no parenting instincts and are too rare to meet regularly! Maybe we'll get there and face a sudden urge to bake cookies and gossip and build a barn together or something...

But mostly we would want to know if they have any clue as to the circumstances of the woman who resembled us and whether there are any missing driders. Also if there are any resources one might want in large quantities if one were sustaining a large supply of vat-grown driders.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #831 on:** August 05, 2017, 05:03:23 pm »

You wanna start with the driders? I can see why, I guess. If you don't mind, I'll let you do the talking on this one. I got history with some of those ladies. Sordid history I'd rather not talk of.
You just shrug and agree. Having a talk with another drider that isn't trying to rambling nonsense or actively trying to eat you will be a new experience. The detective gets off his chair and opens a nearby cabinet. He takes out a strange, curved sword. You recognize it as a scimitar, from one of the unique travelers that passed through the inn. The man who introduced you to that type of blade was bearing two of them, however. The detective seems pleased with just one. It's rather finely decorated as well, with jewels inlaid in the hilt. The scratches and lack of a shine make it clear it's just painted glass, however, if you were to pay attention to it. The many scratches over the otherwise well-maintained metal imply a long history. Polindro also removes something that really surprises you.
You have a dwarf flintlock!?
Yep. My pride and joy. I got it from a dwarf fugitive during my smuggling days. He tried to shoot me in the back of the head with it, but the moron forgot to put a bullet in there. Noise was bad enough, though... I still got a ringing in my left ear.
Do all detective has such... interesting histories?
You'd be surprised. I think about half of my colleagues come from a criminal past similar to mine. Knowledge of the underworld goes a long way in the tests, and as long as you paid off your bounty or did your time, nobody cares about your criminal history. It does lead to some corruption, but nothing too bad. We just keep things from getting too bad, y'know.
You let your silence do the talking. It's clear that the city probably isn't the safest for people with a heavy purse. Yunikki wouldn't let that idea fly, especially now that she's been training with the crusaders. She's rapidly becoming a very dedicated guardian of the weak. And a bane to the undead. Your final exam was a spar against some of the crusaders, where control and tactics are key. She went through the dog skeletons like butter, although she had a little more trouble with the squirrel.

You hold in your laughter with that memory. The orc is taking you to the basement of the police station, where all the portals are. The driders are in the Kuinopsis district, which seemingly defines "middle-class". There's not much crime in the streets, and the housing is well enough, but that's in comparison to the poor districts. As for the economy, it's all services. The Drider's Den looks to be the only truly successful one, though, based on the orc's talking.
When you enter the basement, it's really quite something to behold. A very long hallway with as many portals as there are districts. They are formed like very extravagant doorposts, and the solid purple glows indicate a strong level of magic. You can feel your hair rising as the ambient magic alone is affecting you. It's a bit like electricity, and before long your long hair "floating" all over the place. The orc lacks most of his hair, and he hides what remains under his hat, so he isn't quite as affected like you. He grins at your hair situation, and you honestly can't blame him. You're self-aware enough to know you must look absolutely ridiculous right now. After a brisk walk, you reach the correct portal. He warns you to hurry up when you go through. If the portal were to malfunction while you were going through it, it would fuse you into the walls on both ends. And after a bit of spacial displacement syndrome your body will eventually be expelled out of the wall. Violently.
The portals have never malfunctioned as long as he's been working here, but just in case the rule is to hurry up. He hops on through, and you do the same. You actually have a little trouble fitting all your legs, but you're through after a bit of tucking in.

The district itself is very calm. There are a few streetlights still on, and you even see a lonely traveler wandering around. He nods to the two of you, and keeps on walking. Other than that, the only thing you see is the occasional stray cat. It doesn't take long before the large streets bring you before the Drider's Den. It's rather pretty, but nothing extravagant. It looks more like an Inn, although the night does cover a lot of details. They have a fairly fancy painting for the sign of their Spa, so there's that. You suspect they use word of mouth and the fact that they're driders to properly sell the service. The detective is knocking on the door, and you quickly see the glow of a lantern on one of the upper rooms. After a few more seconds, you see a drider with some rather revealing lingerie open the door, clearly half-asleep. She seems to wake up proper when she sees the uniforms however. Though her expression sours a little when she sees the detective you're with. You decide to talk first.
Good night, ma'm. We wanted to ask you a few questions about a case you and me might be related in.
The drider cocks her head to the side, until she suddenly catches on that you're a drider like her. She finally talks.
Alright... Is it about another drider?
Right on the money, Mag. the detective says.
Magnolia, to you. she says coolly. Then Magnolia turns to you again as she lets you in the building. I'd be glad to help, I suppose. Anything to help out a sister. I'll get my sisters downstairs... My biological sisters, I mean.
She yells up the stairs for the other three driders to come down. Their names are Violet, Lavender and Rosemary, although you don't really know which of the driders are called that, respectively. They all come down, in different states of undress. One comes down with a simple floral nightgown, the other with a sleeveless undershirt, and the last one is dressed in a proper drider coat. They are most certainly sisters, although there is a clear difference in ages. the gown and undershirt ones could be twins, while the one that let you in looks a bit more mature. The one in the coat looks to be the oldest of all of them, if only in sheer size. She's a bit larger in every respect, and bears herself with an almost regal air.

The biggest advantage to this place is that there are actual proper seats for driders. There's one extra they brought in for the fifth drider in town, but she never came inside before. It's occurring to you that every singly drider appears to be female. Odd coincidence, but these girls probably had a father, so maybe they just aren't around at the moment. Now that you're here, it's time to start asking questions.
The first one's easy, of course. Do they know anything about any missing driders? The answer is a resounding "no" and assurance that they would most certainly know if that were the case. Of course, it only then occurs to you to actually explain the situation. They listen with rapt attention as you explain how a drider was involved with a crime that led to her death after she and her compatriots resisted arrest. Now the odd part is that she looks close enough to you that she could be a sister, but you know for a fact that you don't have any. The other eggs of your mother's clutch were either lifeless or cooked by a harsh sun, and sold by your adoptive father to help set up the inn. So that leaves the possibility of ANOTHER eldritch clone of you (your use of "another" got them very confused). So you ask them if they have anything to add with that in mind. The eldest (Lavender) in her stylish coat is the first to talk.
An interesting history you have to be dealing with that sort of sordid business. Pray tell, is that how you lost your eye?
Not what you asked, but you do want them to trust you. And you kind of enjoy talking, regardless.
No. That came from a separate encounter with the Crimson Curse. My biggest scars are from there, generally, like the white crack on my carapace here. It wasn't visible before, so I guess I'm pretty close to a molting. Might just get my leg back, too.
The one in the tank top reacts to that. Her voice is rather high-pitched: Oh my gosh, I thought you were just born like that. You really lost one of your legs!? How do you deal with at?
Same way as the eye, really. You just get used to it. I stumbled a lot at first, but honestly. We have eight legs, what's one less?
The one in the shirt speaks. She sounds very similar to the one in the tank top, to the point that you could confuse the two.
An entire limb, girl... You're tough as nails, 'ain't you? You just kind of accept that shi- the one in lingerie interrupts Language! these are policemen.
Small correction, I'm a policeman. She's just Civil Assistance.

The icy stares make it clear that he's still not too welcome here. He just scoffs and leans back.
Well, that brings us back to the point. Do you know of any way a drider could arrive here and be involved in criminal activity? Or, alternatively, a place where there's a lot of necromancy or similar magics going on that may be used illegally?
Hmmm... I wouldn't usually say this, but I think I can trust you with this. Not HIM, however. she points her chin to the detective.
Follow me to the kitchen, darling. Girls? Keep our other guest here, if you please. Sting him if you must. Or if you merely want to, I suppose.
The detective crosses his arms, and smirks. Whatever he did, he's proud of it. You follow the elder drider into a different room. It looks to be a sauna of some sort. The towels are clearly made from drider-silk. You didn't even know that stuff could be moisture-absorbent! She closes the door, as you almost unconsciously put your hand on your blade. It's a bad habit you developed as you dealt with your trauma over the last few months. You just don't trust anybody in a private situation.
Right. I don't want this to leave the room, alright? I think I know where the drider might have come from. I know a spot where people do some deep underground slave trading. I was "invited" for my earlier... history. I didn't want anything to do with it, but maybe this will send you on the right track.
Out of her extravagant coat, she opens a hidden pocket. It requires her sliding a long nail over a completely inconspicuous spot. She pulls out a pristine letter, which contains a location and time. The time was about a month ago, but the location is most likely still valid.
There's no guarantee it's the place you WANT to be, however. This goes beyond even the normal underground dealings of the city, so there's bound to be trouble.

Visit the Lion's Den first.
You might as well visit both places. To make sure you get the full picture

Go straight to the slavers
You'll figure something out. If time was money, you'd be broke.

Ask additional questions to the drider sisters
You can do this and also do something else, unless things escalate in a weird way.

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crazyabe · « **Reply #832 on:** August 05, 2017, 06:08:48 pm »

Ask them a few more questions since well, we haven't exactly met up with any others of our own race that weren't a few bricks short of a house, Then head down to the lion's den.

RAM · « **Reply #833 on:** August 05, 2017, 07:12:38 pm »

Oh my, is there some sort of trick to making a towel? One should never be without their towel afterall'. They are sisters, and different ages, they must have met their parents!? Do they get urges to be worshipped? Is it normal to eat p- er-
Perhaps, umm, we should schedule another meeting? They are a spa, yes? We could perhaps return at some point and make use of their services, and perhaps converse a little? They have service times and fees that we could manage? Is it possible that they could be of assistance with a moult?

...
We should enquire briefly about the other drider's circumstances. Ask if there are any rumour concerning cults or newly formed gods. Or perhaps flesh-magic, perhaps recent cosmetic facilities that could be a public face to an organisation with such skills? Rumours of mind magic or drugs that could be used to control someone? These are all very speculative at this point so one shouldn't read too much into such questions... Oh, and, umm, do they mind if we look at their soul? It might be helpful to know if drider souls look any different and we don't possess a significant sample size of spiderish souls...

Definitely go to the lions Den before the slavers! We do not want to go directly to the slave market after only visiting the driders. That would potentially expose them to unhealthy suspicions.

Our previous encounter with slavers was not so informative, but perhaps something can be gleaned. We do know that driders are valuable. Basic prison cells are generally sufficient so one can probably do a decent amount from outside with lockpicks, or a sturdy crowbar and freakish spider strength and Queen would probably enjoy eating some slavers, not that we would be going there for a fight... ...
Likely to have secret back entrances too, but... secret... we can spit gas that might visibly go towards or away from an opening and might be able to see sizeable samples of souls or smell such scents seeping somewhere seemingly silly?

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #834 on:** August 06, 2017, 04:02:00 pm »

You decide to talk a little more with your brethren, but you glean no more useful information. They have heard nothing of flesh-cults, and while they have heard of the gestating god, it's nothing more than the average person doesn't already know. The official message hasn't been spread or anything, but it's slowly becoming a fact of life that there is a new player on the field. And he is ugly. You also make it a point to look at their soul, which you can do with a lot more subtlety. you only need to close your one good eye, while the other remains open. The healing process makes it look fine, apart from the glassy look, but you have no control. You suspect you don't even blink with that eye, and the whole area's numb. The souls are completely normal, as you expected. Considering even animals have the same sort of flame, you suspect that souls don't vary overmuch. The "unique" souls you have encountered were either dying or marked in some way. On that note, you discovered why the Black Swordswoman had a bit of an odd soul. Apparently, like you, she's been marked. She's a bit more fortunate than you, however, as she's "merely" marked for slaughter. She's a sacrifice, nothing more. She will be killed and devoured, if she lets the creatures get to her.
You sincerely doubt it. The one demon that did attack didn't stand a chance against her explosive crossbow bolts and agility. You got off lucky, all things considered.
You talk a little longer with the driders, but eventually the detective urges for you to leave. Before you go, however, the driders give you a ticket for one free treatment. They admit it's entirely because they want to get to know the sixth drider in the surrounding area.
And because they think you're pretty cool.

The trip to the Lion's den is considerably shorter. The portal leads almost directly to their hide-out. Or, at least, the location where they talk to people of the more lawful persuasion. Once more, it looks to be a bar. Bad guys love their alcohol, after all. The barman is a young man that doesn't look like he belongs in the sordid environment that his customers seem to radiate. He's well-dressed; has a thin, finely curled moustache and kind eyes. He even gives the two of you a free drink. A light beer that's easy on the tongue. After a few more moments of the detective explaining things, he eventually pulls a lever in the back. A bell rings below the floorboards, and after a few more minutes, a floorboard opens up. The figure that comes out looks strange indeed. He's covered head to toe in bandages, and a metal mask covers his face. The mask looks to be scowling, strangely, but his mouth is visible. You honestly can't tell what this man or woman even is. His voice is high-pitched enough that they could be anything, really.
So. Harry. You don't come here unless you have a good reason. Or at the very least, I hope that you do.
I most certainly do, Shekana. I'm here to ask you if you would know anything about dobblegangers or cults that might have something to do with the dead drider we've found.
The strange figure glances in your direction. You decide it best not to speak. Making a faux pas here would be a grievous mistake indeed.
Hm. I suppose driders that look like her? Yeah. We've seen a bunch of them around all of a sudden. Around five of them total. They don't act right, though...
In what way? Do they seem kind of clueless, or dependent on orders?
Correct indeed. I recognize the type. Raised in captivity and sold to the highest bidder. Or lowest. The fact that they're driders makes it a lot more troublesome, however... Say, girl! Remind me how often you crawlies reproduce.
Uh... I couldn't tell you. From what I can tell, we start producing eggs at around fourteen, and need a partner to make us lay the stuff, but I don't know how often that happens. I never even saw my own mother, and my potential sisters just plain didn't survive the egg.
Making it exceptionally weird that somebody is selling them at those prices. They must be getting mass-produced, if I had to guess.
How would you even go about doing that?
The person looks at you. Their eyes pierce your soul from behind that mask, and it occurs to you that you probably really don't want to know.
Hm... Are they getting... produced here?
I don't quite think so. They're a bit too tan to be trained underground here, implying that it's somewhere open. If I had to make a wild stab at it, it's eastern. Those savages will do anything, and they control the slave-trade. Speaking of, we're looking into the fresh slaves right now, and we just don't have the proof that the driders actually are slaves. Could just be an experiment gone wrong, or fresh drider family of which the gene pool's all dried up.
You'd be willing to grant us some back-up if we could tell you where it's going down, right?
I can't guarantee it, but there's a decent chance. I'll inform with the boss about it if you do have info about it. Of course, that's if you want to take it down.
You wanna gather information, then you're better off roughin' it alone.

Tell them where the slave trade going down, and prepare for an assault.
You're ending this now. You'll make up your mind from what remains after the assault.

Infiltrate with the slavers
Considering you look just like the driders (apart from scars and carapace) there's a good chance of you blending in. Of course, there's no guarantee the slavers are even in on this...

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RAM · « **Reply #835 on:** August 06, 2017, 08:40:23 pm »

Well, stinks of a trap, and we are kind of distinctive if anyone knows us, and we sort have a "damaged goods" appearance that might not work out well if they really have a large supply. So... risky...
Then again, it might just be that the cloning process has been distributed, or someone captured one of our relatives, or one of our relatives has been selling their children... It is a big coincidence that this is happening here, where we are, and Old Jesty's crew probably knows that we are here, and this would have to get our attention, and we do have a habit of jumping into trouble...

On the other hand, there seem to be driders in danger, and we ARE somewhat of a hero. Not to mention that getting to the bottom of this whole look-a-like issue could save us a massive amount of grief in the long-run, especially considering that it already got us dragged off by the police in the middle of the night once...

Probably going to regret this, but infiltrate. That said, heavy-duty preparations. See if we can get some undead vermin into their pipes for an emergency supply. Try to convince Queen that this whole slavery act is only demeaning if we aren't using it to destroy them all. Get someone to approve of our acting before doing anything. Test our thoughtless and submissive act against various stresses, such as being manhandled or told to clean the latrines and explaining a fictional account of how we got our injuries(or perhaps we could get someone to mask our scars with an illusion?). Also brush up on improvised and concealed weapons. A silk garrotte, bola, or sap can all be made out of scavenged materials and prove dangerous as can be a cloth sheath soaked in poison if we get a hold of cloth and a blade. We could also potentially conceal a weapon in hair or mouth, or even insert a needle into our leg carapace, we are due for a moult soon anyway and a disturbing hole through the plating ought to fix itself much more handily than a missing limb. Not to mention that we can transform undead. We might be able to flatten a rodent skeleton and have it cling to our undercarriage, interest and convenience in reviewing the underside of a spider doesn't seem to be common... We also have a missing limb tht could be replaced with a weapon-concealing fake. Even if it is just some painted bones we can do a lot with an opportune piece of bone, if only that temporary limb-replacement spell wasn't so expensive... Finally, ideally, have the cavalry ready to trash the place in a half-day's time.

This whole thing could very well be a trap just for us. It would be foolish to go if we aren't confident in our preparations. IF we can pull of a slavery at and IF we can go in with more at our disposal than exactly what someone choosing to pick a fight with us can see, then there is a lot of advantage to getting the full story. Otherwise, we can still sift through the rubble after a raid goes down...

DolosusDoleus · « **Reply #836 on:** August 06, 2017, 08:51:03 pm »

Throw caution to the wind. Tell them where it's going down.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #837 on:** August 07, 2017, 03:06:06 pm »

Well, we need a tiebreaker, which is good for me because I was planning on dodging the update today.
I do want to give another suggestion, however, as it just kind of slipped my mind at the time. Do note that it is not neccecarily the best option.

Get the officials involved!
There are guards and policemen. Why would you get criminals involved at all?

crazyabe · « **Reply #838 on:** August 07, 2017, 03:17:41 pm »

Tell them where its going down.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #839 on:** August 08, 2017, 04:48:57 pm »

We have info on it. You say, while pulling out the card. You decide to take a look at the address, rather handing the letter over. You wouldn't want to incriminate the drider that gave it to you. The masked figure seems interested, but doesn't demand it. Good. So apparently, it's going down in a central chamber of the sewers, right below the main gate. Clever. Nobody does any business at the front gate, but it's close enough that nobody thinks of it... I'll get word to the boss. You get the guards involved, and we'll ruin you. The way he says that makes two things clear. One, he's not joking when he says he will ruin you. Second, he's still somewhat casual about it. The detective also whispers in your ear not to risk it.
Seriously, do NOT piss off the criminal underground here.

You finished your drink and paid for it after that for a somewhat exceptional price. The detective paid for it, however, considering you didn't bring any money when you were dragged from your home in a nightgown. You couldn't even take your cookbook with you, which is rather rare. The rarity and general use of knowing the creatures around you is just too useful to pass up, and it's not that hard to take with you, regardless. The street seems strangely welcoming after the bar, which was becoming increasingly stifling the longer you remained. The patrons were focused on their respective drinks, and the bartender may have been rather nice, it got creepy after a while. Feeling that safe in an environment that hostile makes him come off as strangely dangerous.
The detective is the first to talk.
Right. So we made it so that there will be an assault on the place in short order. While infiltrating it is out, I still think we aught to go there. I know a shortcut to the front gate, anyway. It takes some slick footwork, but you won't be having any issues.

He takes you to a sewer entrance. It makes the one you saw in the previous city look quaint in comparison. They like it grand, apparently. It even has a gargoyle at the top! What, were they planning on giving tourists tours through the fantastic facilities of feces? It doesn't matter, anyhow. The detective opens the door with a master key, although he has to push to get past the rust and... residue. You try not to think about it too hard as you unsheathe your blade in advance. You'd prefer having a shield, but the sword will have to do. You were always lousy at parries...
The fancy footwork that the detective mention seem to revolve mainly around not stepping in puddles and avoiding the mains stream of sewage. It honestly looks like people could get swept away in there. The detective isn't the nimblest man, especially with his coat, but he manages to get through the sewers just fine. He can leap a fair distance, if nothing else. You, on the other hand, can just walk across the ceiling, and even give him a little help on occasion. You can't carry his weight for long, but a quick helping hand is still possible. In not time at all, you can hear excited voices in the distance. Or just one voice, to be exact. It sounds like a bid is currently going, but you cant quite make out on what. The detective takes out his pistol with his right hand, and his scimitar in his left. The last stretch is just a straight line, no more fancy hopping or leaps of faith over the chasms of crap. Just a slow creeping on some creeps in a creepy chasm of crap.

Eventually, you can see the flickering of a torchlight clearly, and the voice becomes obvious enough.
And for the next few! We have a strong amazon to our left, which will be sold starting at five-hundred gold pieces! A legendary figure, indeed, and as loyal as they come! She will accept all order from those that best her. Best part is, we've done all the besting FOR YOU! Now, who would like the first bid?
A pregnant pause can be heard, with an awkward cough. You hear the sound of a chain getting pulled to its limit. Something tells you the amazon isn't as passive as he's trying to sell her as being. You can't see anything, of course. You and the detective are right around a corner, and you don't dare poke your head out. Contrary to what many stories show, it is kind of obvious when an entire brain-melon pops out of the corner to have a snoop. You don't know if they have a guard out, but the way to discover that isn't really a good plan. You continue listening. You can save the slaves when the rest of the people come in.
Hopefully.

The salesman continues his spiel.
Fine, fine. I understand if she seems like a bit too much to handle, but we have a much more appealing AND cheaper deal available. For a mere 200 coins,
grab her before she's gone, A young student in the art of necromancy! Easy to handle, and quick to learn, we're sure. We found HER snooping around at the wrong time, so she's high-risk goods. Anybody going out of town will get a downright STEAL with this one. Again, we start at two-hundred! Any takers?
They took a student!? Your expression turns quite grim, and the detective holds his arm out in front of you to stop you from doing anything stupid. You've only got a dinky blade, after all.
Ah yes, many takers! Let the bidding commence! Twenty-four with the two-hundred fifty! Anybody who will raise? Yes, Thirty-two with two-hundred seventyfive!
Number forty-two with the three hundred and-
You hear a softer voice talk. You can't quite make out what it is, but the salesman reacts to it in an instant and with great excitement
Understandable request, my good man. Guard! Please remove the iron gag! Our people would like to hear her soothing voice!
You hear the rinkling of some metal, a chain perhaps, followed by a clang of something heavy falling on the ground. No other sounds follow for a while, until you hear a scream of pain.
OW, OW OW OWWW!!! STOP IT! STOP! JUST LEMME GO!
Kagari!? That's the girl that always helped out Erika. You've never known her with anything except a spring in her step and a smile on her face, so it's jarring to hear her in a panic.

Still no sign of the back-up...
Well, she's a bit of a screamer, ladies and gents, but you can't deny the vigor of youth is more than present! Quite energetic and very mallable!
Your blood is positively boiling. The detective also bears a look of pure disgust. More murmering.
Hm? Ah yes, a raise to five-hundred and another request! A branding! Indeed, one way to make it clear who she belongs to!
WHAT! NONONO, PLEASE!
Will anybody do a higher bid!? No? Then please prepare yourself for some entertainment! I believe her back will do! Guard? Strip her.
You hear a rustling, and a tearing of cloth. Kagari screams again. She's sobbing in fear.
Too far.
Too fucking far!

Step in
This isn't going a single step further. Consequences be damned, you're saving that girl right NOW!

Wait it out.
...It's horrible. But you can't pointlessly sacrifice yourself. The backup should be here very soon, r-right? If you hurry, the healers can prevent the scars from the burn...
Hopefully.

Let Me OUT
It's been too long. Let me feast. Let me. letmeletmeletme!
The Queen's more uncontrollable than ever before. There's a very good chance she'll attack ANYTHING nearby. This is horrible idea!

Make a noise?
It's a low chance that they'll stop the branding, but maybe, just MAYBE, they'll drop everything to check out a strange cloud of something or a noise.

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Author Topic: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure (Ended) (Read 189913 times)

Liquefied Spleens

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