>>34557919
Twitter: twitter.com/REQMX

Character Sheet and Misc:
http://pastebin.com/u/REQM

Archive:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Re-Monster
or
http://archive.moe/tg/search/tripcode/!!7fb3j+Ac+pZ%20/type/op/

Quick question: Should I update the paste titles with a *Updated x/y/2014* when I make changes?

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road
Yes

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road
Who knows, we might be able to communicate with Seranthis in some way or form.

>>34557919
>>Take the tree path to the meeting place- There's a dirt path on the other side.

>>34557919
>>The village is on the river, right? Maybe a raft? It's a bit rocky, though...

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road

Also, can we say Lyra spent the evening spooling silk for trade? Taking extra silk will help us buy the best gear.

>>34558058
What about fishnets made by Elle?

>>34557919
>Heading past the ruins should lead to an old road
I hope the bear was tasty

>>34558107
If Elle was willing to make some.

In fact, let's retcon that we offered to take our sisters stuff for trade on their behalf, if any of them wanted us to.

>>34557919
Ugh and blugh, just woke up and I'm all bleary.
Let's
>The village is on the river, right? Maybe a raft? It's a bit rocky, though...
Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Over the ruins and through the woods!
>>34558145
>>34558058
I have no problem with this.

>>34558107
good idea if there is plentiful fishing, I'm sure some of our siblings would love to have something from the trading post and since we're going anyway...

Also, that mage staff we found, did Sara 'borrow' it?
Or maybe Aria?

>>34558192
Excellent. Should we think of things to buy for our sisters, or will you just tell us what they wanted?

Oh, yeah. Did Sara like her new staff?

How do chairs work for spiderbutts?

>>34558285
We don't have them.
We might need to invent beanbags if we want to sit at all.

>>34558285
darling plz

>>34558285
Long stools that we can settle our thorax on.

>>34558285
They don't.

Shopping list at the village:
1. some fair armor
2. shield repairs
3. fiiiish
4. some glue- we want to try making composite spidersilk plates, and our sticky stuff becomes brittle instead of becoming hard.
5. Sister presents
6. something sweet. Do we even still like cakes?

>>34558361
>fiiiish
Why would we want to buy fish?

>some glue- we want to try making composite spidersilk plates, and our sticky stuff becomes brittle instead of becoming hard.
Terrible idea. Removing its flexibility and elasticity would completely ruin spider silk.

>something sweet. Do we even still like cakes?
I have the feeling most human-food won't taste very good to us, but it's worth a try.

>>34558862
Anon, spider silk has an incredibly high tensile strength.
When made into a carbon-fibre style composite, that means it'd be super strong.

And fish is mostly so we have something to snack on/easy to hand out snacks when we get back.

>>34558895
I don't think we need to bring back snacks. We brought in a XBOXHUGE bear and a couple lizard-men just last night. The larder is stocked.

>>34558950
You might be right.
I just can't resist a trip to town without purchasing some form of easily handle-able food to much while you walk around.

>>34558950
With our new appetite it would be a good idea to catch some stuff to snack on while we travel.

Getting a taste of what food they have in the village will also be a good experience for Lyra.

There's a bit of distance to go. Jin's village is on the edge of the forest. A very, very long ways away from your territory. Chitin clicks against itself as you walk, picking up speed as you head out.

On the plus side, the weather is nice, at least. You've been veritably loaded down with trade goods- Elle somehow managed to produce huge swaths of silk in a few hours, and Aria and the boys threw a small pile of hunting goods atop the packages- Horns, furs, anything valuable the could turn up.

Sara was more focused on the staff you'd brought home- You managed to get an excited thank you, and a very distracted good-bye as you left out of her. Right before half the nest lit up like a searchlight. Apparently staves and the like make mana control a great deal more easy- to the point where there's a large increase in casting speed and power. Maybe you can find something similar worked into a spear? What part of a staff is important for casting, anyway?

There's way too much stuff you don't know.

It's hours before the trees thin to reveal the ruins, shattered stone decorating the clearing. The bodies mom left behind are already long gone- a few bloodstains and crunched bones marking where they stood.

The city's remains are beautiful in the noon light. The sun's rays sparkle off bits of columns not dominated by moss, toppled walls and collapsed buildings gaining density as you head deeper into the fallen metropolis. You wonder what the building was that you passed through. Deep tunnels, meandering corridors- Maybe an armoury or something similar? Or catacombs? Just building something like a giant maze for the sake of it doesn't make much sense.

>>34559185
It couldn't have been a mine, you think to yourself as you skip over a twisted grate. No rails, just stairs. Or do people not use minecarts? The stairs were gigantic, too. You'll have to ask about the rest of the forest races, eventually. This is just kind of- of-

You stop, legs falling silent as you take in the scenery.
It's easy to see what it was, even if it's crumbled. Or maybe destroyed?

Statues, or the rubble-like remains, dot a long street. A harpy with a huge crest, both wings sheered off. The remains of a moth's wings, etched in stone, sticking out of a pile of ruined rock. A massive arachne, legs wider and shell bigger that yours, arms raised but gone. An empty pedestal for the lizards.


You pick your way around the fallen monuments, taking in the oppressive air of forgotten history. Did this happen when the city fell? Did the races do it themselves? The rest of the statues don't tell much of a story. There's a furred claw, something that looks like it could have been a snake, and a whole lot of nothing.

You head further, clambering over another broken doorway, walking amidst the hallways of what must have been a massive building. Standing in one of it's rooms, the walls strike you as odd- and you realize, suddenly, that you're standing at the heart of the destruction.

There's a 20 meter circle of perfect stone- floor fitted together so tightly that there's barely any cracks, smoothed and worn away by use long ago. And past that...

>>34559215
The stone beyond the circle heaves upwards, jutting spires radiating out. The walls collapse away from the circle, some breaking further as the ground rejects solidarity.

There's that creeping feeling between your shoulderblades- Not a feeling of being watched, or followed. A feeling of weight, of ghosts and stories untold, of things unseen. You return to your previous pace, hurrying out of the ruin and through the fallen city. You pass by a pair of old towers, wide gates strewn between them, and onto the road beyond.

It's overgrown, grass and weeds poking between each stone, and in some places roots have torn the rocks free- But it's wide, a long, visible strip to follow. You hike your cargo up your shoulder and hurry away from the city, legs clattering over the nature-claimed road.

Roll 1d100, please!
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.
>Head straight to the armourer- That stuff takes time, right? Get it out of the way.
>Look for the trading post, No need to carry this stuff around any longer.
>Other(?)

Feel free to make up a list of stuff you want to look for- For yourself or your family.

>>34559263
Jin first. She's our designated vouches-for-us girl.
Then let's sell things at the trading post, and use what money we made there to get armor.

>>34559263
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.

Can't roll out without our wingwoman

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>34559263
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.
Jin can introduce us to the townsfolk, keep them picking a fight, and tell us where the armorer and trading post are located.

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>34559263
>>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.

>>34559263
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.

when going to a new area it's always a good idea to get a guide.

>>34559298
actually, reverse trading and armoring's order.
Maybe we can order some armor with the coins and metal we already have.

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>34559317
Forgot to roll.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>34559263
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.

let's not be the strange red spider lady which shows up out of the blue.

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>34559263
>You should find Jin as soon as you reach the town. It'll be easier, that way.
Having Jin (or another friendly Harpy) vouch for us will make any interactions much easier.

We definitely need Jin or one of the other harpies because if memory serves we don't speak the same language as the people of the town.

>>34559263
>things we want to look for
Any particularly tasty snacks that would hold up the duration of the trip.
some easily adjustable shield or armor pieces for our combatative sister.
I want to get elle sewing gear, but I don't know what we could get she isn't already able to do.
I have no idea where to start on brother gifts.
Sarah, maybe a book, but we already gave her that staff.

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>34559263
>Feel free to make up a list of stuff you want to look for- For yourself or your family.
We want to fix up that buckler or just replace it and find a decent set of armor, considering how strong we are weight probably won't be an issue, but we still aren't sure how much money we have and what it's worth

Maybe find some snacks to take back for everyone

Snacks, Gifts and Jin.
Writing!

>>34559616
oh, and we have to bother the fishermen.
How's sailing the rivers like? Do you ever go way upstream?

>>34559519
We speak Plainspeech, a standard human language.

>>34559710
My mistake I thought we only had forestspeech.

I wonder if we'll be meeting jin's dad while we're here.

Oh, right, we never found out how Elle's experience with crossbows went.
How did that go?

Trees thin out on either side of the path as you travel- they keep their height, but they spread out, further from each other than the interior forest. Here and there you glimpse stumps and the snapped branches marking the paths of the fallen trees. The road is probably fairly conveniant for the logging town; It's certain to be easier to move wood on a semi-clear road rather than through the woods.

The grass and weeds thin as you reach more travelled sections, ruts carved into the stone by wagons passing over them day by day.

You can see evidence of the town long before the buildings come into view- Smoke rising idly over the trees, the rhythmic sound of axes on trees. The ground slopes, ever so gently, and building start to peek over the horizon as the town comes into view- Clusters of cabins, rows of larger buildings, and the occasional giant structure, wide doors, and corrals. You can see a centaur chatting with a man in a wide hat, a row of harpies perched above one of the cabins, a pair of men working a log through a saw.

You trundle down the hill, heading towards a low wall- an outward facing spikes of wood lining the settlement. A wide gap, manned by a few men resting on crude chairs, marks the entrance. You head straight for it. One of the sentries looks around sleepily before setting eyes on you.

>>34560982

He watches you quietly for a few moment before his eyes widen- he tries to stand up all at once, and goes tumbling over the back of his chair- The other two, an older man with a gap-toothed smile and a guy leaning heavily on a sheathed sword- both laugh as he struggles back to his feet.

The young man rights himself as you draw closer, and narrowly manages to draw a shakily held sword without loosing fingers.
He points it towards you, squeeking.
"H-h-h-halt! This town is under the p-p-protection of the guild! Go no further or- consequences!"

You stop just outside the wall, looking to each man in confusion. The old man has progressed to cackling, bent double as he laughs, while his companion leans back in his chair.
"Brandt, what are you doing?"
"Wh-what? It's a monster! What're you doing!?"
"She. She's monsterfolk. An arachne. It's their bloody forest, Brandt. And moreover, you barely know how to hold a sword- what were you going to do? Stutter her to death?"
"I'm brave!"
"And she can punch your skeleton clear out of your body, boy. Don't pick fights with Arachne."
"But-"
"Sit down, and sheathe that before you hurt yourself."

The boy scowls as he rights his chair, muttering as he clatters his sword back into it's home.
The old man's laughter finally wheezes to a stop.
"Hey, hey, girl. Don't mind the little adventurer, ya? He won't be hurting anyone anytime soon."
The boy huffs to himself while the other sword-wielder stifles a laugh.
"Now, where're you from, and where're you going?"

"I'm Lyra- Uh, Nialla's daughter. I'm here to trade and buy stuff? From the other side of the ruins."
He nods as he speaks.
"Mhm, mhm. In you go, then. The ladies always like it when the spiders visit."
You get a few steps into the town before you turn around.
"Could you tell me where I could find Jin? She's a friend."

>>34561007
The older warrior lets out a few barks of laughter.
"So you're the brave spider, then? Jin should be somewhere along the river- or their cabin is on the other side of town if you care to wait."
"Thank-you."
He waves dismissively.
"Take care of yourself, spinner."


>Go Looking
>Wait at the cabin
>Other(?)

>>34561036
>Wait at the cabin.
Chance of meeting her family and no wild goose chase.

>>34561036
>Go Looking

>>34561036
Hm. I wouldn't mind meeting jin's folk, but that might take quite some time.

Maybe we could do the armorer thing first, and then go back to wait in the cabin after? We'll have time to kill, after all.

>>34561036
>go looking
We will either find Jin or a random social encounter!

>>34561036
>Wait at the cabin

I bet Jin would love to show us around.
>Sleeeeep, good luck Gents!

>>34561036
>>Go Looking
Might a well go

How big is the town?

>>34561036
Wave back to the kid and shout, "It was very brave standing up to something bigger than you, but next time, try saying hello first, find out if the scary thing is friendly."

>Go Looking
Brose a little as we walk. If we're heading towards the river, keep an eye out for a dock and fishermen.

>>34561036

>Wait at the cabin

>>34561137
>Wave back to the kid and shout, "It was very brave standing up to something bigger than you, but next time, try saying hello first, find out if the scary thing is friendly."
Let's not give him advice that will get him killed if the scary things aren't friendly, which is true much more often.

>>34561169
>>34561137
yeah, no crazy advice.
Just, you know, wave and smile. Maybe say he was pretty brave.

>>34561036
>Wait at the cabin

>>34561036
>Go Looking

At least this time we'll find social trouble as opposed to the kind with very large teeth

>>34561174
>Maybe say he was pretty brave.
No need to give the two others more ammunition to make fun of him.
And to be honest, he should be a little embarrassed for the way he's acted.
Arachne are well known enough that the old men didn't even bat an eye at our red carapace.

>>34561036
>wait at the cabin

Rivers aren't hard to find. We'll look for Jin.

So Dragons. are they sentient in this setting do they even exist?

>>34561521
You just want a dragon husbando

>>34561662
>>34561521
everyone knows spider husbando best.
Or terrified humanoid husbando.

>>34561521
Given the trend of this quest, we'll probably fight one in the next thread. Then get chewed out by Spidermom.

>>34561729
We should probably rein in fighting big things.
Accidentally or non.

>>34561784
We're lucky we haven't gotten hurt yet

>>34561784
Plus we should allow our siblings to catch up in levels.And evolve as well maybe?

We also need to find out if that Moth Girl (Rie, I think?) was alright.

>>34562314
eh, she got back to her parents.
I assume they are both fine and hidden away in secret anti-poaching locations.

You wave goodbye, though your erstwhile opponent is determined to look the other way. The old man laughs again as you head towards the river.

Walking amongst building, even something as simple and old fashioned as this feels a bit surreal. Puffing stone chimneys top a few of the larger buildings, and people work on the steps of their cabins- hanging laundry, carving, just lazing about. You get a more than a few waves and greetings as you pass through- and very nearly everyone you pass watches your baggage with excitement. It seems arachne have a bit of a reputation.

You follow the smell of the river- it's hard to pick out amongst the scents of animals, cooking and fire, but it's there. As you move closer, you can hear shouts and tremendous splashes, like someone had dropped a huge rock into the river. You leave the forest of buildings behind, and move out onto the shore.

The river is wider here- Women and men work in the shallows at the edges, fishing, laundry, bathing. It deepens in the centre, water misting as it strikes stones. A huge log raft has thrown into the river, and a few men stand atop it, long sticks held ready as they wave goodbye to people along the shore. You see Jin waving feverishly at a man with matching hair as the raft drifts down, catching the current and picking up speed. People whistle and wave, shouting till it fades from view.

>>34562401
You step into the river as the commotion dies down, shouting at the little bird.
"Jin! Heeeeey, Jin!
The harpy takes off at the sound of your voice, swooping back in and circling you as you laugh. She tries to find a perch atop your cargo, but the shifting mass of goods denies her- She's forced to hop clear, settling on your shoulders, careful to keep from scraping you with her talons.
"Lyra! We did not think you would visit so soon!"
She hangs over your head, upside down and smiling brightly.
"I am glad you have come, yes! I have told everyone of your bravery!"

The statement strikes a note in you- The man's laughter at the gate.
"Jin- Did you tell everyone everything?"
She throws her wings wide, cloaking you both in shade as she brags.
"Yes! The wolf, and the moth, and even your magic!"
She chatters on about the stories she's told as you blush.


That's just... really embarrassing, for some reason. People telling stories, knowing about you. It's hard to put your finger on it. People paying this much attention to you- Strangers paying this much attention to you is just really embarrassing.

You pull yourself up onto the shore, long legs making short work of the lip at the edge, and find yourself surrounded by children. Mostly human, and two miniature puffballs of harpy, not even able to fly yet.
They stare at you as you tower over them, before they all start talking at once.
"You're really big."
"Jinni said she was big!"
"Can we ride too?"
"Look at how much stuff she's carrying!"
"And Jin too!"
"I bet my dad is stronger."
"I bet she could pick up your dad!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yuh-huh!"

You head back into town with your newfound mob of kids, leaving behind a pair of boys scrapping at the river's edge. The harpies have a hopping gait, bouncing forward with both legs, fluttering half grown wings as the go. You catch Jin's attention, asking for directions as the children barrage you with questions.

>>34562422

"Did you really beat a wolf with lightning? I saw lightning once. It made a whole tree blow up! You're not as big as a tree."
"-Ah, Jin and I both fought the wolf-"
"Where'd it go, then? Where's the wolf?"
"We ate it."
"How'd you eat a wolf?"
"I am a giant spider."

"Jinni said there was a really big spider. As big as trees! I bet he could've beat the wolf."
"Why didn't the bigger spider eat you?"
"We- I could talk to him. He was friendly."
"Spiders can't talk!"
"What are we doing right now, then?"

"I'm gonna be an adventurer when I grow up! I'll beat more monster than you!"
"You'd better hurry up, then. By the time you grow up, I'll have beaten so many monsters, there might not be any left."
"No fair! You can't do that, it's not allowed!"

Jin laughs atop you as you turn back into the main area of town, where all the bigger buildings lie. Where to?

>Armourer/Outfitter
>Trading Post
>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work
>Other (?)

>>34562422
so we are now basically coated in children and goods.
We may be moving slower than normal.

>>34562509
>Trading Post
Get some extra money before going to the armourer.
>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work

>>34562509
>"How'd you eat a wolf?"
>"I am a giant spider."
This should be our answer for more things

>Trading Post
Let's make some dosh and find out how money works, Jin might know about that actually

>>34562509
>>Armourer/Outfitter
Armorer first.
I was under the appreciation we were already giving rides.

>>34562509
>>Trading Post
>>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work
Need to get the money first

>>34562509
>Trading Post

>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work

>>34562509
>>34562509
>>Trading Post
>>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work

>>34562554
>I was under the appreciation we were already giving rides.
We have too much stuff on our butt

>>34562509
>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work
>Trading Post
We need money before we can buy armor.

>>34562509
>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work
We'll give them a ride later, but we need to go do things now.

>Trading Post
Sell our wares first, then we'll have cash to buy the stuff we want. It'll also free up some cargo space.

>Other
Ask Jin if who was on the raft. Where are they going?

>>34562509
>Trading Post

>>34562509
>Trading Post
>Promise your posse spider rides after you've done your work

Jin, you've been doing too much hypeman-ing.
We don't even know these kids!

Trading Posts and Spider Posse.

Next post delayed for food.

The village seems nice. I like the local civilization.
I support moving closer when we eventually move out of ma's.

Do humans have levels and evolutions (Class/Job?)

>>34563101
I doubt evolutions, but I am certain they have adventurers.
And adventurers totally have levels, right?

>>34563101
From what Sara said, Humans have Jobs that they can move into, that gives them special abilities.
Especially important are the Jobs that give healing spells and abilities, like Druid and Priest.

Hey guys, I just realized, with our ability to mould stone like putty we easily clear the way into the ruins for spidermom. That way we can get her down there and introduce to our cool big cousin Seranthis.

>>34563473
Maybe if we practice a lot more.
Right now we're more likely to just collapse the tunnel.
Earthmagus we aint.

>>34563473
We may be able to mold stone but we still need a firm foundation of engineering so that the cleared sections don't collapse.

>>34563490
Remaking the collapsed stone into an archway can't be that difficult for Lyra, and it's mostly a matter of clearing away existing debris that has fallen into the passageway. It isn't like earth magic is directly comparable to explosive demolitions in our world either. Lyra can actually FEEL the stone as she works with it.
I think we oughta at least mention the idea to mom in any case.

>>34563586
mention it and maybe work on it a while, sure. Don't expect anything great though.
Like, maybe once we can actually make stable non-ruins tunnels.

So 4chan is being weird it looks like

>>34563634
so reqm is having trouble posting

>>34563852
>>34563849
shit, really?

>>34563852
Yeah I was getting an error message too, but the post eventually went through

Testing, Testing.

>>34563905
is posting back online now?

Yo REQM, if you're still around it looks like you can post if you use the original reply box

>>34563905
Looks like you're still having trouble Boss?

Quick reply not being a shit anymore?

>>34564182
Testing?

>>34564181
>>34564209
Yeah, it seems to be working again.

>>34564218
Once more again.

>>34564236
Yay it's fixed

Might want to archive this, just in case

>>34564326
Someone else might have to, the OP might have left already.

>>34563905
REQM, does it look like you'll be able to keep going?

>>34564584
Yes, sorry about the lack of updates. Massive post incoming.

It's more of an effort to avoid stepping on children than it is to support Jin and only gods know how much weight of goods. Coordinating eight legs to not squish children is not as easy as one would hope.

You draw to a stop, ushering the little ones in front of you. They form up before you, making two lines and turning to face you. Is this how teachers to feel?

"I've got to take care of some shopping for my family, yes? Jin and I will work, and if you all behave yourselves, there may be time to play when we are done. Maybe I will let you ride around for a bit, alright, little ones?"
You're answered with a chorus of yes' and okays, and the children disperse to wait- humans chasing each other all over, while the harpies hop to the nearest fence and perch on top of it.

You head into the wide doors of the trading post- a hanging sign lets you know you've got the right building. A bored sounding voice rings out as you make your way to the counter, saying they'll be there in a minute. You take in the scenery- long shelves full of all sorts of goods. There's the classics of RPG shops- picks, axes, ropes, potions, all sorts of esoteric goods that you can't even guess at the use. Packed between all this is even more stuff: Rock candy, dried meats, furs, clothes, blankets. It looks like anything that the local smith doesn't make on commission ends up here.

>>34564645

A young woman, apron over a plain dress and a strip of cloth tying back dirty blonde hair, yawns and stretches skyward as she makes her way out of the back room.
"Welcome to the Oakring Trading Post, will you be paying or trading today? Please keep in mind that common furs have beco-"
Her jaw hangs open as she takes in your loaded form and harpy shaped hat, before she gasps, clapping her hands together as she moves out from behind the counter towards you.
"Oh-OH! Sorry, I thought you were just another hunter! I'm Theresa, and we're always glad to do business with the spiderkin! It's been so long since we've had any in town!"

"Oh, uh. I'm Lyra- I'm fairly young. My siblings and I are still growing- there'll probably be more visiting in the future."
The youthful shopkeep's face lights up.
"I am Jin, yes."
Her expression takes on something of a confused set as she directs her attention to your companion.
"I know who you- No, no. What I mean is, Why is she on your head?"
"She couldn't balance on the goods, I guess?"
"This is true."
"That's not- I-"

She stops short, covering her face with one hand and holding the other up to pause the conversation. You can't help but smile.
"I honestly can't tell if you're messing with me, or if this is an arachne thing."
Jin offers her own opinion.
"You are very clean, so it is an arachne thing, then?"

>>34564670
She fixes Jin with a look, and just gives up with a sigh as you start to giggle.
"Alright, alright. Let's just- What did you bring for me, Miss Lyra?"
"Ah- I have a few large spools of silk-"
This woman's smile is predatory. Animals would run the other way.
"A pile of rivermetal blades-"
Her teeth are out now. You are honestly surprised by the lack of fangs.
"Pelts, claws, horns, and a few finished pieces of work. Blankets, bags, a few tunics, I think."

The woman has a look more starry-eyed than Sara at the waterfall.
"This is- this is wonderful. We used to only get a few cloaks or blankets or things, but lengths of silk- We could send it back to the city! I lived next to a dressmaker for a few years. They got arachne silk once, just once, and they had to cut pieces from tunics- Half the citys nobles spent the day there. It was nearly a riot!"
"Is it really that nice?"
"You've never worn anything else, have you?"
"Well, no."
"It really is. Can you unload everything? I'll take a look at the other goods as well."

You nod, and before you turn to start unstrapping your loot, you pluck the harpy from your shoulders, and hand her to the bewildered shopkeeper.
Jin looks up, she looks down, and you busy yourself piling goods next to you on the floor.

_________________________________________________________

Elle made a pair of rolls, it seems- one thicker, and one gauzier. Theresa has an ecstatic expression. The blankets and tunics are simple affairs, the rougher, easily made cloth, while the pelts vary in worth- a few are small creatures, like rabbits and the like, but the scales and fur of the armoured bear, and the antlers of the deer the brothers hunt seem to be fairly valuable.

>>34564645
I figured walking around with all those kids would be troublesome and dangerous.

>>34564706
A few of the workers have stopped in to pick up bits of rope, a lantern, flint and tinder. They were all excited to see the rivermetal you'd piled up- making quick conversations with Theresa promising to return and buy them.

For her part, the shopkeep has scratched an endless array of notes as she records value and the like, though she's become a bit antsy. She taps frustratedly at the top of her notes.
"The problem," she opens, "Is that I haven't got anything near enough value to offer for this. We mostly deal in coin with merchants, and we aren't due one for another week or so. They come up with the lumberjacks returning. What kind of deal are you looking for?"

"I was ordered in to pick up armour for myself, actually, and to repair a shield. Other than that, just knick-nacks, candy for my siblings."
"The smith is with the guild, so it won't be cheap- but it still wouldn't cover this much cloth. How'd you even get so much?"
"My sister spends most of her time weaving. Even when she hunts."
"If she keeps that up, the village will probably double- we might even get caravans coming up here. Okay. Okay. Are you willing to work with credit?"

You're fairly certain, despite your current curiosity, that Mom will not be letting you head to the city just yet.
"That sounds fine. Can we put it under the names of all my family? So no matter who comes in, they're good?"
She smiles.
"That's fine. That's perfect, thank you so much."
"It's not like there's much we need day to day. It's fine."
"And your names?"
"Lyra, Nialla, Sara, Aria, Elle, Ephram, Zach-"
You hesitate a moment.
"And Erics. He's, uh, not an arachne. I still haven't asked mom what he is- He's a mage though.

>>34564706
Careful Lyra, don't go getting cheated now

>>34564724
She lets out a low whistle.
"Seven Arachne in one family? That's quite a few."
"Really?"
"I think the last family living nearby had two kids?"
"Huh."

"Well, then," She says with a broad smile.
"Before you take off to get that armour, what can I get for you?"

>Write in some gifts.
>If you can't think of anything, I've got a few defaults.

>>34564746
>gifts!
A few types of jerkies, to they can all can try some various types of food. Likewise, sweets. I want to know if we even still like those.

Maybe some rings and bangles if they have such things. Oh! I know!

Beads and dies! Let's get some beads and dies for general house use, and for Elle to have. And maybe a bottle of high proof alcohol for if anyone ever gets hurt.

>>34564746
See if there are any interesting books around, and ask about the odd potions we saw on the shelves

>>34564746
Do they have any books?
Quills, ink, and parchment/paper for Sara.
Aria will probably prefer something from the smith.
A book of fashion would be good for Elle, but they may not have anything like that.
Maybe an example of a fishing net so that Elle can make one from spidersilk. Either that, or fishing pole and fishing line.
Some fishing hooks.
Rock candy and jerky for Ephram and Zack.

>>34564746
Let's pick up some sweets for everyone, some good snacks, see if she has any books on designs or sewing for Elle, see if she has any neat magic knick knacks for Sara, maybe a game or a toy for the boys, and some jewelry for Aria, a necklace or bracelet, we might want to get one for Sara too actually

>>34564746
I was going to say that an adventurer can always use more rope, but then I remembered that we are a giant spider...

>>34564746
>>Write in some gifts.
We should get candy and sweets for everyone, and anything of arcane nature for Sara. Other than that, some crossbow accessories and dyes for Elle, some gemstones for Aria, and get some additional credit at the blacksmith for armor of her own. I don't know what the boys would want. Something that help with their hunting, perhaps? Anything else?

>>34564877
Being a giant goddamn spider takes care of alot of adventuring stuff- we dont need torches, rope, climbing gear, we can make bags and crap.

>>34564892
>dyes for Elle
Yeah that's good

>>34564746
something nice for jin and her family maybe... and some candy for the kids from earlier.

>>34564724
Fabric dyes for Elle, paper and blank books with ink for Sara. Some armor for aria, maybe leather or something, snacks for everyone and some booz for mom
No idea what to get the boys

All sorts of good ideas!

>>34564949
>some candy for the kids from earlier.
They're already getting a spider-back ride, and we're trying to build a credit history for our family here; I think we should be a little less cavalier with our new credit.

>>34564746
Maybe some potions for Sara to look at and in case someone gets hurt. Sorry for taking so long to respond but 4chan is acting screwy for me.

>>34565078
Dude, candy is dirt cheap, its pretty much dehydrated sugar water. Our silk is so expensive we could buy out the entire shop and still have credit left over.

>>34565140
It's weird our silk is so expensive.
You'd think they get a lot of arachne business.
Well, at least a little for armor and metal stuff.

>>34565190
It seems like were the only Arachne family in this forest and it looks like most arachne families are fairly small

>>34565234
That second part may be true, but there's tons of arachne families in the forest.
We saw a bunch of web-nests on our overflight to the ruins.

>>34565251
>>34565234
Maybe there's still some leftover racial tensions behind held by the other Arachne families? It was supposedly a Human army that destroyed the forest coalition, after all, and some humans can't tell intelligent neutral monsterfolk from non-sapient monsters, like that kid at the gate, and probably killed some.

>>34565251
I think they were just paths? We might be the only ones close to the town

>>34565321
No, it was nests I am fairly sure.
>>34565313
Well, it WAS a long trip to the human village.
Maybe the arachne overpopulation laws also keep them from expanding outwards?

>>34565251
I think meeting other Arachne would have come up in the quest if there were any in the forest. REQM also noted our race needs large swaths of territory to support the hunting habits of a single archne family. I think we're just the only ones for miles around.

>>34565457
For miles, yeah, but not for the whole forest.

>>34565510
I think the forest might be pretty dang massive. In any case I think the only other arachne would be far, far deeper within it, more than a day's walk away from the town

It's a bit of work bundling everything away- once you get started picking out gifts you keep going. Dyes and some sewing supplies for Elle. Beads, fine threads, needles. There was even a book full of designs for clothing. Sara is fairly easy; You pick out a thick blank journal with some ink and a few quills.

You save a bit of credit for Aria- You'll send or bring her next time, and she can get fitted for armour. You grab a few light examples of jewellery, and a bottle of the candy and meat. You haven't had any sweets in what seems like forever. A bit of fishing supplies and a few of the potions round out you purchases. Theresa runs over your expenses with you as she goes- The books weren't cheap, but everything seems fair, and you still have more marks on the page than you know what to do with.

She shakes your hand enthusiastically as you go, accompanying you to the door and handing you a sealed note for the smith.
"Thanks again- This is a big deal for the town. Graf will take care of whatever you want with the note. Come again soon!"
She waves as you go.

You manage to get a half dozen steps outside before you're surrounded by children- half of them immediately setting about clambering up you legs. Or trying to, anyway. Chitin doesn't make for the best handhold. Jin has returned to her usual seat, looking down on them all smugly. Is this a usual harpy thing? Perching on people? Like, the stronger your perch, the higher your status?

She preens herself as the children gather around you.

No, you're pretty sure Jin is just bragging to children.

>>34565598
I just think you are mistaken. My reading made it seem like there were other arachne about, just spaced quite sparsely.

>>34565690
Taking them one at a time is probably going to take too long. You position Jin on your shoulders again- you have a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't give up her seat to the kids. The you set about grabbing and placing them on your carapace. The two harpies position themselves in the centre, balancing on your carapace. The rest of the kids flop all over the shell- you teeter around the town square, children squeeling as you skitter around.

Adults passing through stop to watch, sharing a laugh as the kids yell. The ride comes to an end as you roll up to the smith- plucking each one off and placing them back on the ground, ignoring their attempts at pouting.
"I have more work to do, yes. Run along now, little ones."
They fan out, a few heading back towards the river, a few heading deeper into town. Jin hops down immediately, reclaiming her space with a look of complete satisfaction.

You head into the smith's, greeted by the burning heat of the forge and the echoing clang of hammer on metal.


>That's it for the evening. I'll shoot for wednesday, 2PM EST
>Sorry about the posting times. Issues aside, today was kind of slow.
>Questions and comments answered while I'm in thread.

>>34565726
Darn. Stupid 4chan cutting threads short!
See you next wedesday.

Hey, how is arachnid population density looking, while you're answering questions? Others in the forest, yeah?

>>34565726
Thanks for running.

>>34565726
Thanks for running!
Hey, are you archiving?

>>34565726
No problem can't help 4chan being a shit

Nice thread as always

>>34565726
Thanks for running, looking forward to next session.

>>34565726

Man, jus how big is Lyra, anyway?

Also, I love it how she and her siblings speak like their mother. Full of 'yes?' And 'little ones'. But then again, it's expected, since they live only with each other.

And well, writing style is a thing too, but eh.

>>34565851
You pick up these vocal habits.

Unrelated, but I noticed this thread that jin wasn't surprised by how huge and red we got. Maybe she visited us sometime offscreen?

>>34565888
She woke up right at the end when she left, she probably had a mini freak out when she was more fully awake about is being hueg

>>34565750
>>34565762
>>34565771
>>34565772
>>34565844

Thanks for playing!

There are other families in the forest. Mom's sister has a family in forest, and there are other Arachne. They live fairly far away from each other- it's a matter of food, mostly.


>>34565851
Imitating her mother's speech is something I decided to work in- Its been gradual. She was talking differently to start.

>>34565888
Jin was there the morning of the change. She commented that she knew Lyra would get bigger, and went back to sleep.

>>34565917
Or she totally expected it.

I am surprised the merchant asked a giant spider where she got so much silk.
Maybe having the idea to spool it is uncommon?

>>34565931
Thanks for the run, REQM, looking forward to the next one.

>>34565931
>Imitating her mother's speech is something I decided to work in- Its been gradual.

And I absolutely loved. Oh wait, I already said that.

But it's good to confirm it's intentional, and not your own speech patterns slipping in. Good work man, your quest is one of the best right now, imo.

So, I wonder how much these little silk trades help the village out.
It might have a boom-time while our spider family is in the area.

>>34566116
I now foresee someone attempting to abduct one of our sisters for their silk production capabilities.

>>34566147
Usually folk into that kind of thing go for the moths first. Already dealt with that once.

>>34565985
Previous arachne in the area occasionally brought a few pieces of premade clothing- Arachne are, by and large, self sufficient. Things like armour are only needed by the ones that leave the forest- and once they leave, trade dries up.

>>34566000
>>34566018
Thanks!

>>34566116
That's what the shopkeep is hoping for.

>>34566147
People have tried in the past- but beating an arachne without killing it, then sufficiently restraining it isn't something within the realm of common banditry. Moths are picked on because of rarity and weakness- arachne have a lasting reputation because of the war. Even amongst adventurers, as you saw at the gate.
Combine that with their homes being leagues into extremely hostile territory, and even parties have trouble accomplishing it.

>>34565985
I suspect its both the quantity and quality, Elle does specialize rather heavily into silk after all so it would reason she can make some higher quality silk than we can, and in much larger quantities.

>>34566315
I still envy her silk-working chops.

>>34566315
While Elle's silk will sell well here and in human cities, we should also see if we can get this trading post to get some caravans from elven and dwarven cities. They know the value of spidersilk, and getting Dwarven mithril plate/glaives and Elven mage staves/books would be even better than Human produced goods.

>>34566588
>the better goods you bring to the local store, the better gear they'll start having
I always loved this mechanic.

How big is Lyra? I'm having trouble of getting the scale in my head. Two full meters (about six feet) off the ground when she's relaxed? More?