>>33986280
Your mother was absurdly proud, dancing about and hugging each of you, planting kisses across your foreheads and encouraging you all to try more words.
"Look at all my little ones, growing so fast!"
"Mama, Mama!" Elle is practically bouncing in place, wide eyed and ecstatic to be able to do so much.
"Yes, Yes, This is good. There are things we must do today, spiderlings. There are people to meet. Follow me, dearhearts."
She leads you around the other side of the nest, and out onto a stout branch. As far as you can see, the branch has been connected to others by thick strings of webbing, high above the ground. "Now, now, Keep up, little ones."

The curving trail leads you far from your home in the clustered woods. Trees begin to this, and grow sparser, and you're all forced to the forest floor to continue. Finally, you reach a massive clearing, surrounded by 3 large stones, each covered in heavily carved whorls. Patches of tall grass dot, the clearing, and while your mother seems content to sit and wait for something, all of your siblings set about exploring their new surroundings.

>Check out the huge stones
>Hide in the Grass, scare someone
>It looks like there's another stone in the centre of the clearing?

Twitter: twitter.com/REQMX
Character Sheet: http://pastebin.com/F5RxgbPX
Sorry about yesterday - I spent my time hauling a pressure washer around instead of questing.

>>33986293
>>It looks like there's another stone in the centre of the clearing?

>>33986293
>It looks like there's another stone in the centre of the clearing?
Let's put our intellect and extra lifetime's worth of experience to use!

>>33986293
>It looks like there's another stone in the centre of the clearing?

Now that we can speak, maybe we can ask Mama some questions while practicing knitting or something.

>>33986293
>>Check out the huge stones

>>33986293
>>Hide in the Grass, scare someone

>>33986293
>>33986293
Alright then! Can I get a pair of d100 to start this off, please.
And for those interested: d100 will always be best of three, and other sided dice will be for charts and the like, so I'll take the first. If this changes, I'll be sure to let people know.

Rolled 77, 65 = 142

>>33986616
One pair of d100's coming up.

Rolled 64

>>33986616

Rolled 85

>>33986616
Extraneous sure, but I like to roll.

Rolled 35, 48 = 83

>>33986616
Let's see what we find.

>>33986641
>>33986644
>>33986691

pretty good.

Rolled 25, 35 = 60

>>33986616

So, messenger bag to be our first item to weave?
Anyone got other ideas for things to craft?

Rolled 31, 6 = 37

>>33987139
rope, nets, gloves, ect. stuff we can wear and hunt with

Rolled 11, 60 = 71

>>33987139
The most badass hat possible!

>>33987139
Bag would be nice, learn to weave better quality clothing, nets, slings, bow string, binding arrow heads to arrows.

there is a lot we can do with that silk.

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>>33987139
A HAT

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>>33987219
Yes! A hat!

We should also probably learn how to dye our silk, too. Could make some serious dosh that way.

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>>33987261
Spiders in dresses.

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>>33987284

>>33986616
>>33986641
>>33986691
Sara settles down for a nap next to your mother, while the boys tear off across the field before vanishing into the tall grass. Your other sisters idly wander the circular clearing, taking in the vistas the huge stones present. You set off with a mission: There's some in the centre of the field. It looks rock-like from here, but it's still a ways away. Your legs carry you easily over the uneven ground towards your target till a sharp "Clack" halts your progress, and draws your attention down.

The remains of stone paved path lies under your feet, individual stones smoothed by ages of traffic and weather, while the path itself lies broken and separated, reclaimed by nature. You follow the path through the field, the cobblestones gradually coming together again, forming a clear route to the rock you spotted from the edges. A circle of easy steps leads down, past tiers of what you can only assume to be seats - though the shape and size varies widely all around. An amphitheatre for a people without human forms, then? The heart of the structure is take up by a huge circular table, beautifully covered in carvings of all kinds.

Or, it was, sometime in the past. As you draw closer, you can see that vandalism has taken its toll on the stone. Where it once was divided into sections, each decorated to resemble the race that sat and represented themselves at the table, only 3 remain on the scarred surface of the table. A sharp, jagged carving of an Arachne, surrounded by a pattern of webbing covers one piece, while another has a soft tribal feel to it, spirals arranged to form an image of a woman with wings in the place of arms. The last image is a delicate picture of a woman with her hands clasped and head bowed, flanked by insect wings spreading across her side of the table.

>>33987588
You look up and around at the seating arranged before you, imagining what it must have been like before. How many races lie under the torn surface of the table? So many different shapes and species, the clamour of voices from throats that would all sound different cries...
As your gaze follows the path up the opposite side of the amphitheatre, you focus in on a few dots, far off in the sky. Even as you watch they grow larger, hurtling towards you with a speed you couldn't hope to match on the ground. Your breath catches as you begin to pick out details - They're clearly the winged people from the table.

Even now,your eyesight continues to surprise you; you can see the patterns of their feathers, the way the wind catches their hair.
One of them spots you, meeting your gaze - You can see her smile even from the ground, and she pull her wings back and tight against her as she begisn to dive...

>Stand your ground
>Go get Mom
>Run into the grass
>Other(?)

>>33987608
>Run into the grass

Birds eat spiders.

>>33987608
>Stand your ground
We ain't no weakling!

>>33987635
Is the difference in size anywhere near the same though?

>>33987608
>Stand your ground

Maybe she just wants to talk?

>>33987608
>Stand your ground
>Other: create a crash net out of webbing by calculating the speed and angle of her dive.
Birds eat spiders.
But spiders can hunt birds.

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>>33987635
>>33987694

>>33987608
>Stand your ground
>Other(?)

these carvings suggest our species are or at least were on friendly terms right?

weave a net just in case.

>>33987608
>Stand your ground
But get ready to dodge if needed.

>>33987608
>>Run into the grass
I'd rather we not die on thread 3

>>33987727
>>33987687
We speak the spider language. Not the harpy or moth language.

Maybe we were friends once, but not anymore. Though I'd be down for some diplomacy later.

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>>33987724
Dammit I was JUSt about to post that.

>>33987608
Standing our ground before the harpy's charge!
1d100, please!

Rolled 11

>>33987947
I haven't rolled any dice in so long.

Rolled 74

>>33987947
suplex!

Rolled 50

>>33987947
Waaai!

Rolled 84

>>33987947
Time for nat 1?

Alright, writing.

Rolled 42

>>33987947
Man, I get called away and I miss the roll.

Just a note to the one who is doing the archiving, you should use the tag 'Collective Game' when archiving a quest thread.

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>>33987968
The harpy is coming in fast, hurtling towards far quicker than you would be able to flee.
You skitter around, finding yourself a clear piece of ground to stand on - if you have to fight, you don't need your legs getting caught on anything. The harpy continues her dive, releasing an earsplitting screech as she closes in on you, wind whipping her hair into a long tail pulled taut behind her. The rest of the flight continues at their own pace, apparently happy to leave you to the first one to dive.

You find yourself crouching lower, spreading our legs around you, giving you something of a cage around your spider half - and preparing to leap if the situation demands it. With the harpy only seconds from contact, she flares her wings, opening them wide and pulling herself to a near halt directly in front of you. She hangs just out of reach above you, shrieking and snapping her taloned feet towards you, hovering around in some kind of show of strength.

For your own part, you rear back onto four legs, waving your dagger sharp appendages at the floating feather-covered girl. Leaning forward between your foremost legs, you clench your chitin-covered hands into claws, hissing as you dance side to side, keeping the harpy in front of you as best you can. You take turns lunging at each other, keeping just out of reach and raising a godsawful racket as you continue your standoff.

The showdown is finally broken by raucous laughter floating down from the sides of the theatre. You shift around the harpy till you can see where its coming from, and are confronted by the sight of your mother and sisters side by side with the rest of the harpies, all clearly enjoying the show. You can feel the heat of a blush working its way across your face as you lower yourself back down - but the harpy takes the opportunity to charge in, trying to knock you off balance and pin you to the ground.

>>33989101
Unfortunately, a small framed lightweight with hollow bones doesn't stand much of a chance at knocking down someone with eight legs on solid ground, and you've got her pinned to the stones in short order, keeping her there with just your two hands as she tries to flap her way free. The harpies applaud in their own way, sharp finger talons on their wings clacking together carefully to replicate the motions. Your mother laughs again, and call down for you to free the little bird-girl. There's a moment of tension when you let her go, the two of you staring each other down before she breaks first, turning her head and taking off, winging her way back to her family.

You clatter back up the stone steps, with your sisters looking on with proud smiles, and your mother starts to introduce you all.
"These are my daughters, yes? There is little Sara, Elle is next to her, and this one is Aria." She chatters as she gestures to each of your sisters in turn. "And here is our fierce Lyra, yes." She smiles mischievously. "Too much like her father already. And the boys are in the field, somewhere. I am too old to try and hunt them down each time, yes. But they have a penchant for getting caught in webs, so I will find them in time."
The eldest harpy chuckles along with the introductions, before sweeping a wing out towards the two younger girls next to her. She clicks her tongue lightly as she speaks, "The quiet one is Sefi, and the not so quiet one is Jin. We left Jareth in the nest, of course."
"I would hardly expect to see him flying."
They share a laugh at whatever joke they have between them, but neither bothers to explain.
"Was Erics not even their for the hatching?" the harpy asks as she cocks her head to one side.
"You know him, Lia. Nothing will hold him down for long. He heard rumours of more ruins like this in the west, and he was gone the morning after, yes."

>>33989119
The mothers continue chatting idly, but your attention drifts away from the conversation and back to your winged opponent. She's half concealed herself behind her mother, wrapping her wings around and peering at you without blinking. You start to shift to the side to get a better look at her when your mother's hand descends and clasps your shoulder.
"You little ones are getting hungry, yes?" She has a spark of laughter dancing in her eye. "Why don't you and little Jin go and fetch food for everyone. Maybe you will have a little less energy for once, yes."
"Yes, Mama"

You start to head towards the woods beyond the stones as your mother giggles behind you, and Lia cackles out loud, shooing hr daughter into the air and after you. You reach the cover of the woods with the now quiet harpy idly circling above you, and as you head between the trees she swoops down and settles onto your spider half.

>Chat with Jin(Topic?)
>Suggest plans for hunting
>Ask about her father
>Other (?)

>>33989144
>Chat with Jin(Topic?)
Ask what it's like to fly. Sure she can't really answer, but you HAVE to ask, it's like the law or something.

>>33989144
>Chat with Jin(Topic?)

Ask her what she's seen flying up there. Any nearby towns? Caves? Ruins?

>Suggest plans for hunting

Maybe weave her a net (with stick handles) that Jin could drop on something?

>>33989144
>Suggest plans for hunting
Jin flies and finds prey, then we set up a web trap, and the both of us chase the prey into the trap.
>Ask about her father
What's he like, is he a Harpy?

>>33989144
>>Ask about her father

>>33989144
>>Chat with Jin(Topic?)
Why would she dive attack us?
>Suggest plans for hunting
We lay a trap and she herds some pray to it. With her mobility and flight it should be easy.

>>33989144
Fuck yes, adoraharpy get.
>Chat with Jin(Topic?)
Ask how old she is. Ask about her siblings. Tell her about our webs and ask if she can make anything.

>>33989144
>Chat with Jin(Topic?)

What does the area around here look like?
What other creatures has she seen?
What can she hunt? Harpies seem pretty fragile.
>>33989185 as well.

And with that, goodnight gents.

>>33989144
>Chat with Jin(Topic?)
Ask her about herself. Does she often dive-bomb people?

>>33989144
>Suggest plans for hunting
if we give her some sticky net, she can try to throw it at birds, they get stuck in it, fall down (with a bit of help or not) in a big net where we take care of them

Alright, plans and a chat with a harpy. Writing.

>>33989635
There'll be a short break while I see to feeding myself. I'll be back soon.

>>33989906
Alright, take care!

So, given what Mom and Harpy-Mom were talking about, our dad is named Erics, and he's some kind of adventurer.
The dad for the harpies is named Jareth, and it sounds like he's a human, since he apparently can't fly.

Also, this bit about an ancient Monster civilization is interesting.

>>33990977
We obviously need to try to rebuild the old civilization.

Probably with dosh from our silk enterprise.

>My dinner is ready, and so is the post. Have something to read while I eat.

As you walk through the quieting forest, there's the kind of silence that only two people unsure of how to start a conversation can manage. The click of your limbs is matched by the quiet ruffling of her feathers, as she adjusts herself to the bobbing of your thorax. You idly play with your hands for a moment, before glancing over your shoulder and taking a deep breath -

Which you hold, because the little harpy perched on your rear half has turned her head all the way around, watching the clearing fade into the forst clutter. She twists her head back forward as your gait stutters a bit in surprise, and there's another few seconds of staring before you release your held breath and try to open conversation.
"Hello"
"Yes"
"I am Lyra."
"Yes. We are Jin."

>>33991199
She speaks in plural? Weird.

>>33991199
You glance forward, and start moving again, picking your way between roots as the forest grows denser around you. Turning your attention back to the harpy, it's easy to see her youth. Light, downy feathers cover her body and wings, and her patterns see haphazard, incomplete. She's already fallen silent again, stoicly maintaining her grip on your carapace. This isn't working at all.
"What is flying like?" You manage to blurt out.
She tilts her head back, as if gauging the distance to the sky from where she sits. She speaks with certainty, with an absolute sort of truth to each of her words. "There is wind and sky, clouds and us. We can spread our wings and touch sunlight, touch starlight. Our eyes see everything, and there is nothing we cannot catch." She fluffs her wings as she finishes her declaration, twisting side to side to settle her feathers back down.
"Is that why you dove at me?"
She carefully considers you, eyes tracing your back, across your shoulders, and down to the growing gloves of armour across your hands.
"We must be strong. The strongest. With wide wings, and powerful voice. We will catch the starlight, and it will be ours, and we will show our mother and sister and father." There's a pride there, an odd sort of determination for someone as young as she seems. Or maybe not? You're only a few days old, and already looking like you were 12 or 13. Maybe the minds of these people develop as fast as their bodies? Maybe even faster.

>>33991199
>We are Jin

That's suspicious.

>>33991218
"You are strong. Even with your little arms. We did not think you could catch us." She smiles and ruffles herself again. "It will be good to hunt with you."
"What do you hunt, Jin?"
"Rabbits. Little things. Sometimes bigger things, if we can dive far enough."
"What if I weave you a net? Could you throw it on creatures? We will need to catch a lot to feed everyone."
"Yes. Mother says webs are a spider's strength. This is good. We will be strong!"
She seems excited at the idea of borrowing your 'strength'. You look around, and spot a pair of trees close enough for you to weave a wide web. You'll need somewhere to keep your food while you gather enough for everyone.
"I'll start to make some now, then. Can you look and see where we should hunt?"
"We can see everything! And nothing can hear us!" SHe flaps her wings excitedly before pushing off hard, catching just enough air above you to start sailing into the trees. You look back at your chosen trees and get to work.

>3d100, please. Two for you and one for Jin.

Rolled 63

>>33991248
Huntin' like a pro.

Rolled 11, 50, 75 = 136

>>33991248
So each person rolls 3d100, right?

Rolled 29, 15, 99 = 143

>>33991022
That's a very long-term goal.
Let's go ruin-diving with our dad and find out more about the civilization, first.

I also don't enjoy civ building or management quests very much, personally.
They rarely work unless the quest is built from the ground-up for it, and doing things is more fun than telling other people to do things.

>>33991248

Rolled 56, 37, 73 = 166

>>33991248
Alright.

>>33991296
Damn, Jin is good.

Back and writing. This'll be the last update for the evening.

>>33991661
Awww, alright.

Rolled 61, 79 = 140

>>33991661
It always feels like its never enough.

>>33991661
Jin sails away between the trees, utterly silent. An owl-harpy, then? You turn your attention back to the trees, and with just a few minutes spinning, you've produced a beautiful web between the trees, silk strings glistening in the filtered sunlight. You step back from your newly built storage, and start trying to spin yourself a net.

Is this how Sara did it?
Nope, that is a vague blob of strings.
Mixing the sticky strings with the strong lines is a lot harder at this size. You try stretching the web thinner, but it tears, or catches on your fingers and you slice through. Knots tend to drag, making it impossible to form a net without simply weaving it together - but if the strings overlap, they pull together and ruin the attempt.

10 minutes of frustrated knitting, and you're finally creating things resembling nets. The slow rumble of hunger is turning into a sharp edge, and the more web you spend the more hungry and irritated you get. another few minutes, and you've finally knitted yourself a suitable net. Mostly tough string, with just a few select rings of the sticky silk to that it's easier to entangle oneself than it is to get free.

At that point, you realize that you're holding the net with you're shelled hands, which is something your winged partner completely lacks. She isn't going to be able to hold the net at all.

>>33992164
d'oh!

>>33992164
A few more minutes of knitting, after pulling some sticks free from nearby trees, and you've managed to craft a trio of scoop-like nets. If she swoops down and tags a creature with this, it shouldn't be able to break free at all. In the process, you've realized that your understanding of the language - and your ability to speak it - is completely natural. It isn't so much something you've learned, or picked up, as it is something you were born with.
You've also discovered a choice selection of arachne swear words. While they did wonders for your stress, you're fairly certain you can't let your mother hear you talking like that.

Jin on the other hand, has returned twice already, with a rabbit, then two, clutched in her talons. She's swoop into the clearing, squealing little creatures carried beneath her, and pitch them into the web, laughing all the while. She seems very impressed by the web at least. You hid your failed attempts at nets in the undergrowth, already. No way you're going to let someone who's already looking up to you know how many times you screwed up.

This time, Jin's return isn't nearly as quiet.
"Trouble! We have brought trouble!"
She casts her latest catch into the web, and it bounces and writhes is place as she circles over head, shouting warnings, as a black-furred wolf nearly the size of your spider-half stalks into the clearing. It eyes you and Jin with sidelong glances, snarling as it sizes you up. It spends a moment to examine your lunch web before crouching down low, its rumbling growl sounding for all the world like an advancing storm.

>Thread end
>Next Thread with probably be Monday @ 2PM EST. The deck needs painting.
>Questions/Comments/Concerns?
> I am aware the threads tend to run a little short. The skeletons I draw up to frame them seem to run out faster than I thought. I'll try doubling up my plans, and see how that plays out.

>>33992265
Question:

How does Mama and the Harpy mother know each other? Old adventuring colleges?

I doubt this will come up in the story, at least not in a detailed way.

>>33992294
Tradition, mostly. What you were going through today is something they went through as children, and their mother went through as children, and so on. It stretches back to when the ruins stood tall, and all the monsters of the forest sat at the table.

>>33992343
Oh. That makes a bit more sense.

I'd hate to spend our entire lives in this forest. Btw, how long ago was their childhood? A few months ago?

This whole thing is reminding me of the Ray Bradbury story "Frost and Fire"

>>33992265
Thanks for running!
Hope we continue having fun with monstergirls.
Too little Sara.

>>33992265
Thanks for running! While longer threads are always nice, the pacing has been great thus far so you shouldn't worry too much about short threads.

>>33992265
Thanks for running. Moths soon, I guess!

>>33992441
Mama spider left the forest, and came back to have kids. Monsterkind tend to best fit into specific habitats- as they grow and evolve they can easily adapt to new ones, but for children it's best to raise them at home. Arachne are fairly long lived. She was from grandma's 3rd set of babies, and Grandma died at 110. Mom is ~30, and a few of her older sisters live in other parts of the woods. It takes a lot of food to fill a giant spider, so there has to be a certain distance between nests.

>>33992571
RE:Long Lived - Grandma did not die of natural causes.

>>33992688
What dastardly creature offed grandma!?

>>33992736
Mom doesn't know, she was out adventuring beyond the forest.

Un-evolved arachne are nowhere near the most dangerous creatures in the woods.

This looks cool. I might try to catch the next session.