>>34836978
She taps her claws together as she reminisces.
"She used to have me search for things for her- Looking for ruins from over head, caves, that sort of thing. I'd get dragged into some thing or another, and by the time we got back to town, all of our parents were waiting and angry. And she'd just laugh."
She shakes her head, still smiling.
"Everyone thought she'd wind up dead, or on the other side of the world- the looks on peoples faces when she came back to the forest with a man in tow- Hah!"

"The letter will take a while longer, yes."
She holds up her ink stained claw, punctuating the sentence.
"All the feathers in the world won't let me hold a quill, and it takes a certain amount of caution to write with claws and not tear the paper, yes."
"Or is there something you needed?"

>Ask about Dad
>Ask about their adventures
>Ask why Jin spends all her time asleep
>Other (?)


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/

>>34836990
>>Ask about Dad

>>34836990
>>Ask about their adventures
>>Ask why Jin spends all her time asleep

I prefer is we learn about or dad from spidermom.

>>34836990
>Ask why Jin spends all her time asleep
>Ask about Dad

>>34836990
>Ask why Jin spends all her time asleep

>>34836990
>Ask about their adventures
I think we should get info about our dad straight from our mother. She knew him more intimately , yes.

>>34836990
>Ask about their adventures
>Ask why Jin spends all her time asleep

>>34836990
>ask about their adventures

Do we know how to read/write?

>>34837161
You do.

>>34836990
>Ask about their adventures

"You must tell me embarrassing stories about my mother, yes."

>>34837173
There are the languages we know, Arachne, Forest and Plainspeech. Which of these three can we write? (I assume since we can read them all that we can also write them, just clarification at this point.)

So is Jin narcoleptic or what also I need embarassing stories about mom for reasons


>>34837206
Forest + Plainspeech. Arachne's written component is lost.

>>34836990
>ask about dad

>>34837173
In what forms can magic be stored? Do spell scrolls exist? Can mana be stored in some physical object?

I ask these questions because I don't want to be gimped on magic.

>>34837242
>written component is lost.
Well, guess we've got an ongoing quest then! Now, to find the nearest Arachne ruin.

>>34837263
sara will take care of that

>>34837263
We don't know this In-character. Let's ask our sister.

>>34837242
What about the giant spider in the ruins? He would know it right?

>>34837269
...I like this plan.

>>34837269
sounds good, maybe we should pay a visit to a certain giant spider

>>34837269
Arachne is hisses and clicks, right?
Wouldn't it just be morse code?

>>34837375
That could be a problem. We can't fit in the entrance any more.

We're about the same size as Mom now.

The again, that place is fuckhuge, there's probably another entrance somewhere, but we'd have to find it and then find a route to the Forestwalker from the new entrance.

QUEST: ONGOING
Find the written Arachne language
>Apparently, the written complement to the Arachne language was lost some time ago. I should keep an eye out for suspicious markings in Arachne ruins, yes, they could be the long lost language.
>Maybe mom has some information I could use?
>My sister, Sara, might want to help.
>That giant spider in the ruins, Ssssseranthisssss, apparently lived during the height of the Arachne empire. He should have some knowledge of Arachne language.
>Maybe I could do some spelunking in Arachne ruins? But first I need to know where they are, yes.

>>34837423
well, we do remember most of our human life so maybe we could use that old plastic cup trick to talk with him somehow

>>34837451
Doesn't metal and silk resonate better?

Giant spider scholar when?

Remember that skittish centaur?
I wonder what he's up to, now that we've been all around town and made everything all arachne-smell.

The tip-tap of your claws against your chitin echoes around the little cabin.
"Hmm- Well, I have a few questions."
"Yes?"
"To start, I guess- Is Jin okay? She spends all her time asleep. I took her to the river to scrub her down, and the closest she came to waking was murmuring."

Lia laughs hard, eyes closed, chest heaving as she tries and fails to pull enough air into her lungs to keep it up. She devolves into wheezing, still snickering as she tries her best to stay standing.
"Sorry- I- Sorry,"
"It's, uh, okay, yes?"
"We- We're just partially nocturnal, yes? We're more active during the evenings. Jin's been trying to stay up during the days with you- She's most likely worn herself out."
"Ah, okay. Is it really that funny?"

She snorts.
"No, but imagining you dunking my sleeping daughter into the river as you try and get her clean is."
"I had to spread her over a rock to dry her out, too."

You both spend a few moments giggling- breaking for a moment as Jin's snores turning into little birdlike warbles before laughing even harder.
Lia wipes the tears from her eyes with a sweep of her wing.
"Was there anything else?"
"Yes, yes. Could- could you tell me about your adventures? Was it just diving into the ruins around the forest? What was it like? Were there strange monsters? She doesn't really talk about it, yes. Probably because Aria or I would go looking for wherever she spoke about, yes."

>>34837969

She gives you a look, which you don't meet.
"I think I would like a promise, yes? No adventuring, at least till you return home. The town has already seen it's fair share of irate arachne mothers, yes."
"I- Okay. I promise."
"Good."

She grabs a rounded, cuplike chair in one talon, dragging it over and plopping herself into it. She spends a minute settling down, wings and legs folding till she's nestled into its embrace. She tilts her head up, clearing her throat, and begins.

"Hmmmm... Maybe the first, yes?" She nods to herself.
"We were both young. About as old as you are, now. She'd come into town to trade again, yes. She'd be here every few days, usually at the inn, or the guild. Listening to stories, trying to spar with adventurers."
She looks a bit guilty.
"I, uh. I wasn't much better, then. Used to play games with my siblings- We'd find something far too big to fight, and dive at it, getting as close as we could without getting caught- My mother saw us at it one day, and we spent near a week locked in the cabin."

She scratches at her head, continuing.
"Ah, anyway. There was a caravan in town, that week, yes. And she sat down with a few guards, trading tales. And one mentioned a ruin they'd spotted, just off the road as they approached the town. I wasn't there, but I certainly heard all about it. She came up to the nest, eyes aglow, telling me how she's found the perfect thing to do, and how I'd have to pack fast and that we were leaving as soon as we could."

"So we threw our things together- She had a little sword, and a little leather shield she'd made herself, and we set out. The caravan's description hadn't been very good, so I lead from above, yes. We found our ruins, headed in- and that's when the trouble started."
She's wearing a wry little grin, years old embarrassment marking her face.

>>34837993
"The ruins- They were actually a dungeon, yes? So the door shut behind us. Most of the monsters inside had long passed- but there were still a few of the undead scurrying around."
She shivers.
"I still don't like skeletons, even now. Keep them on the inside, yes. Anyhow, Nia was having none of that. She sped through the dungeon, laughing, smashing skeletons, dodging traps. Everything. We were down there for a whole day, trying to find another exit, yes. And by the time we got out again, both our mothers were waiting."

She grimaces at the thought.
"The week in the cabin was nothing..."
"Were there more?"
"Of course. Punishment didn't slow her down any more than skeletons did. She kept going, and going- Till noone else could keep up, yes. And then she left. The forest wasn't big enough."
"Did you go with her?"
"No- that was years later, little one. I'd found Jareth, we'd started building our cottage. I couldn't leave like that. So she left, yes. And it was years and years before she came back."
"Hnn."

You wonder how many places mom's been now- how far from the forest she's gone, what she's seen. There's so much stuff you don't know about the world.
"Any other questions, yes?"

>Ask about dungeons- how are they different from ruins?
>Where do undead come from, anyway? You haven't seen any.
>No, that's it- The afternoon is here, you should probably start home.
>Other(?)

>>34838010
>Ask about dungeons- how are they different from ruins?

>>34838010
>No, that's it- The afternoon is here, you should probably start home.

>>34838010
>No, that's it- The afternoon is here, you should probably start home.

We can ask about the differences of dungeons and ruins from our mom, and it would be safer if we got home before it gets to dark.

>>34838010
I'm still curious as to what our father even was.
And the difference between a ruin and a dungeon.

though, we could break this off soon as she gets her letter finished.

>>34838010
>No, that's it- The afternoon is here, you should probably start home.

We can ask Mom about dungeons when we get back to the nest.

>>34838010
>No, that's it- The afternoon is here, you should probably start home.

>>34838010
>Where do undead come from, anyway? You haven't seen any.

we're not being too distracting are we?

aM I THE ONLY ONE THAT WANTS TO MEET LIA'S HUSBANDO

>>34838010
>Is necromancy a thing?
Do we even have bones?
>we think we know what dungeons are like from our time as a human, just head home

Anyone think we should look at the notice board before heading home?

If there happen to be Orc bandits on the East road, no reason we can't go home via the East road, or something.

Spidermom won't tell us off for bandits attacking US. That's not our fault. Not at all.

>>34838215
You -know- she'll tell us off. And then make us do some more training. ENDURANCE TRAINING!

>>34838215
we promised no adventuring until after we got home

Time to go home!
At least you're a lot lighter this trip.

>>34838236
Adventuring? Who said anything about adventuring?

No. No, no no. Not at all. Just an innocent Spider heading home. It's totally not our fault if something is stupid enough to attack us.

We TOTALLY don't want a chance to test our new armour or anything. Nope. Not at all.

>>34838313
Next post slightly delayed for lunch

>>34838346
Nah, I'd rather not get too far ahead of our sisters. I want to see them get evolutions too.

>>34838403
Make sure to web it up tight so the juices don't leak.

>>34838427
Zach and Ephram: lvl 70
Elle: lvl 58
Aria: lvl 89
Sara: lvl 80

Aria and Sara are close. They just need to keep on doing what they do best (killing and magic, respectively).
Zach & Ephram don't seem too concerned as long as they can hunt.
And Elle is the webmistress. She'll gain her levels through Crafting.

>>34838512
Introducing Elle to the village should help her level up quite a bit.

>>34838512
We'll we've been gone for a whole day so those levels might not be correct. We might come home to find that Sara and Aria evolved while we were out.

>reading the adventure board
inb4 there's absolutely nothing interesting going on besides the wolves we already dealt with

>>34838591
>>34838512
Elle probably won't evolve for years, if she evolves at all. She seems the most chilled of our siblings and will probably settle down and be a happy little housespider.

You don't evolve unless you push your limits.

Aria is pushing herself as our rival.

Sara is pushing herself for her magic.

The Brothers have pushed themselves this far for their love of hunting.

>>34838747
She's already level 58 and we're only a few weeks old. She'll evolve as long as she keeps getting better at weaving and making new things with spider silk. It'll just take her longer than the others.

If anything Zach and Ephraim are the most likely not to evolve if they don't move up to bigger and more challenging prey.

>>34839336
I'm sort of worried abotu fast evolution.
It's enough to worry jin. Maybe everyone evolving fast means some kind of resurgence of wild monsters.

I mean, there's a lot more wild monsters than civilized ones like us.

>>34839378
and by jin of course I mean jin's mom.

"I think that's it, yes. I'll have to be going- I think mom might be upset if I was travelling at night."
"A fair assumption."

She stands up, hopping down from the chair and heading to her table. Plucking a pair of stones from the parchment, it rolls itself neatly, and she hands it to you.
"Try and bring her along next visit, yes? I've got a few questions, and there's the whole matter of Jin's pattern."
She sighs, and rubs at her head.
"Ask her to come along soon, yes?"
"I will."

You step further into the cabin, scooping the curled harpy off your carapace, and gently depositing her onto the bed. You give her a gentle shake as you replace the blanket with her own.
"Jin, Jin. I'm going now, yes? I will see you soon."

Her head pops up over her wing, eyes half-lidded as she stares in your direction.
"Goooo-byyyyye-"
She murmurs sleepily, her farewell dissolving into a yawn. She curls back up, muttering "-miss you-" so quietly you wonder if you heard it at all.

You straighten, facing Lia again as she looks at the both of you with a smile.
"Thank you for looking after me, yes? I'll carry your message, and see you soon."
"Mhmm. Step proudly, and blessing be, little one."

>>34839475
You wave as you depart, leaving the cabin behind and trailing through the town, straight for the gate. The old man is still there on watch (Does he ever leave?) but the adventurers have changed- A young woman with a loose held crossbow and pointed ears dozes next to him, and a different you man stands in the shade of a nearby building, leaning heavily on his spear.

You stop by the gate, exchanging pleasantries with the guards as o struggle into your new armour- the young guards end up helping you with a few loose straps. You memorize where everything goes as best you can; Hopefully, you can do it without help next time.

You step out onto the road as the sun begins the days descent- It's hot wearing armour, but you have a feeling Mom wants you to show up wearing it. Glaive held jauntily against one shoulder, you walk back down the pathway to the ruins, the paved road growing more overgrown the further you get from town.

Now that you think about it- The town couldn't possibly be old enough to have been the roads original destination. And the mine was nearby... Maybe an outpost, or another village? Maybe there's ruins beneath it! You let your mind wander into exciting territory as you walk, scenery bleeding together as it flies by.

You pass through the ruins proper- and halt. The forest, the ruins are silent. Despite the heat of the day, no birds, no animals are moving. Your glaive finds its way into both hands, and your stance is automatic. Eyes narrowed- what now?

>Head into shade, get out of sight
>Get up a tree, wait and watch
>Stand still- some creatures sight is movement based, right?
>Other (?)

>>34839378
No, it's just unusual for Arachne to evolve this fast because most don't push themselves this hard in early life.

Most don't evolve at all. Just live comfortable lives in the forest. Mom didn't evolve this fast because her mom didn't approve of her adventuring. She didn't get anywhere near the XP we got at this early stage.

>>34839499
>>Stand still- some creatures sight is movement based, right?
We're at our best fighting at ground level, so let's stay down here

>>34839475
Jin a cute.
>>34839499
>Get up a tree, wait and watch

>>34839499
>>Get up a tree, wait and watch
Trees is spider territory.
>>34839523
I dunno man, it could be a sign of something worse. Even with our current XP, it seems like we did it very fast.

>>34839499
>Get up a tree, wait and watch
We's a spider so we's do the spidey things.
Get the webbing ready.

>Get up a tree, wait and watch

>>34839499
>Other (?)
Focus on our tremorsense. If something is coming, set up an ambush position.

>>34839499
>Get up a tree, wait and watch

better concealment, everything quiet means strong beasty, maybe stronger than we can handle now.

>>34839499
>Get up a tree, wait and watch

>>34839569
>I dunno man, it could be a sign of something worse.

Turn down the Shadowruns. REQM already explained this. Our first weeks /months are our formative age. High XP gains now will set the pattern for our life.

Mom didn't evolve for years because she didn't get into as much trouble when she was our age and she ended up with a slower XP gain rate.

>>34839687
I am keeping the shadowruns exactly where they are, I predict this being an important plot hook.

>>34839499
>Head into shade, get out of sight
Goddammit, did everyone forget that we were to get a new crossbow for Elle?

Up a tree! Please give me 1d10 and 2d100!

>>34839718
>I predict this being an important plot hook.
No, it won't, because it was explained why this is happening and that it all has to do with Childhood XP Bonus + Looking for Trouble To Get Lots of XP.

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>34839785

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>34839785
Rollin for encounter!

Rolled 41, 75 = 116 (2d100)

>>34839785

Rolled 45, 26 = 71 (2d100)

>>34839785
2d100.
And seriously, we didn't get that new crossbow?

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>34839785

Rolled 76, 96 = 172 (2d100)

>>34839785
Rollin for not screwing up!

>>34839803
That explanation isn't good enough, anon.
It seems like everybody will be evolving early, even the less adventurous of us.

>>34839854
>That explanation isn't good enough, anon.
It's the explanation OP -the person in control of this world- gave, so shut up about it.

>It seems like everybody will be evolving early, even the less adventurous of us.

It's clear Elle has no interest in pushing herself by seeking out greater challenges and gaining XP, so she probably won't.

The Brothers seem to have settled into their comfort zone. If they stay like that, they won't advance any further. If they wan't to, they'll need to seek out more challenging prey and push their limits.

File: Can't Tell If Troll - May(...).jpg (45 KB, 230x230)

45 KB JPG

>>34839854
>even the less adventurous of us.
That would be because we pulled Elle along with us on at least one of our adventures and so boosted her XP gain rate.

At this point, you're either being willfully stupid, or just plain dense.

Alright, then! Writing!


>>34839854
The early level gain is a matter of scale- Killing something as a kid is much, much harder that killing something as a teenager or an adult.
Now that they're grown, levels are grinding to a halt, unless they're pushing themselves or fighting things that are actually threatening.
Elle's level is only slightly above average for an arachne her age, because she spent a lot of time with Aria. Evolving without significant drive takes years. It's like staying in a low level zone in a videogame- They'll only be getting a few exp for each hunt.
>>34839824
They didn't have anything better- A few low tension crossbows for casual hunting. If you want something that'll stand up to an arachnes use, you'll have to make it from tougher materials that they had.

>>34839956
>>34840016
>being this confrontational over shadowruns

>>34840021
>They didn't have anything better
If they didn't have anything better than what a trio of ratty kobolds had, then that's just sad.

>>34840021
I'm still holding my breath for you to drop some monsters everywhere evolving plot on us, QM.

>>34840069
It's willful stupidity that's so annoying, because it's like seeing someone take a shit in a public pool.

>>34840119
What is it with hyper-thinskinned people insisting everything everywhere is people taking shits on things?

Can't something just be mildly offputting every once in a while? Or does everything have to be wild exaggeration?

>>34840082
Probably not bad stuff. Just made for human use. Not inhumanly strong spider people.

Also, the Kobolds obviously stole it, so, other than maintenance issues, it shouldn't comment in its quality.

>>34840169
>inhumanly strong spider people
That's kind of weird. It was mentioned we can punch skeletons out.
Why is our human part so STRONK? Do our muscles work like spider hydraulics? That would explain the spider punch affecting our human-y bits.

>>34840286
It's not like skeletons are very hard to break. Bones sitting in musty old dungeons aren't renowned for their hardness.

>>34840339
no, I don't mean punch the necromantic kind of skeleton out.
I mean the one guard warned the other guard we could probably punch his skeleton out. Like of the body.
Even assuming that's an exaggeration, we're still mad strong apparently?

>>34840286
All I know is it says on the character sheets that Arachne are inhumanly strong. Just one of our racial characteristics.

>>34840339
Also you gotta factor in that F=MA. Arachne are big, and not exactly light. Bowling into a skeleton, shield first with a full arachne behind it is a lot of force for those bones, and the magic holding them together, to withstand.

Get going fast enough and you can ohk most skeletons

>>34840378
>we could probably punch his skeleton out. Like of the body.
Anon, what is a metaphor? What is descriptive exaggeration?

>>34840453
>Even assuming that's an exaggeration, we're still mad strong apparently?
The guy predicted your response and made a counter-response in that very post.

The silence sets your nerves afire. You skitter for the treeline, an itch forming between your shoulderblades, and haul yourself into the canopy. You settle into the branches, watching the clearing intently.

Not a moment too soon- A chittering convoy of skeletons pours from the woods opposite your hiding place. The horde grows in size as they emerge- Small, half sized skeletons as the front, while the center of the horde consists of flesh stripped bodies of giant horned creatures- There's a least a dozen of the giant skeletons, and innumerable little ones. You let out a tiny hiss under your breath, gripping your weapon tightly.

There's a break in the undead brigade- between two armoured skeletons, a tall, cloaked figure stands- hooded head looking this way and that, observing the clearing. Evidently satisfied with what it sees, it gestures in both directions.

Skeletons surge about, clearing grass and rocks- a few begin setting up a tent of some sort. More pour from the woods, these ones human sized, and armed with picks and shovels rather than weapons.

Are they trying to excavate the ruins? What are they after? What do you do?

>Watch a bit longer- Is anything else going to happen?
>Sneak closer- How do skeletons detect things? Is being silent enough?
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom
>Other (?)

I came back from writing, and I find your topic highly suitable.

>>34840557
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom
Just because it's a necromancer, we shouldn't assume he's evil.
And we should get mom so that we can have an observer who has more contextual knowledge of the world.

>>34840557
>Watch a bit longer- Is anything else going to happen?

Get more info before we decide what to do.

>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom
might need backup for this one

>>34840557
>other
Dive bomb the necromancer in the center of the clearing. Don't kill him, just pin him to the ground and threaten him with our pointy claws. Make if very clear we won't put up with his bullshit.

Then figure out what is going on.

I mean c'mon guys, we have ARMOR now. It's like we're invincible!

>>34840557
>Sneak closer- How do skeletons detect things? Is being silent enough?
try to say hi to mr necromancer

>>34840557
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom

>>34840557
>>Watch a bit longer- Is anything else going to happen?
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom

Skeletoooons! Anyway, mom would just kill us if we fought an army of skeletons WITHOUT telling her.
Like, can you imagine?

>>34840557
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom.

We should hurry though, he'll reach Seranthis very quickly at this rate.

>>34840557
>>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>34840557
Gank the mage!

>>34840623
It's thinking like that that'll get us killed.

>>34840623
That's the kind of thinking that'll get us a spanking from Mom.

>>34840757
Yeah, by Mom. Can you imagine that conversation?

>>34840812
"You jumped on top of a sorcerer, yes?"
"In the middle of a skeleton army, yes?"
"And you didn't intermediately kill him, yes?"
"..."
"I think that you need more training. Starting right now."

>>34840557
>>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom

>>34840557
>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom
NOW

>>34840872
The residents of the forest will tell stories of our suffering for generations to come.

A little bit of watching, a whole lot of 'Moooooooom the forest is full of skeletons!'
Writing!

>>34840872
b-b-bbut, the only reason I said not to kill him is because it might be daddy! We still don't know what type of mage it is!
If he does something hostile or he's an evil fegget, then we kill him!

>>34840913
don't forget asking permission to go punch skeletons.

>>34840919
While taking such aggressive action, but not killing him, is extra stupid.

Just charging into an ARMY and an unknown mage stupid enough on its own.

>>34840919
Man, it's like you don't want to give Sara, Aria, Zack, and Ephram the chance to tag along on this and get the XP they need to Evolve.

>>34840557
>>Get Mom- Skeletal armies are a bit beyond you, time to get mom

>>34840997
Cause if well kill all of them ourselves than we can evolve again. Aria's Jealousy meter will explode

You watch, nearly holding your breath. The mage (wizard? necromancer?) enters the tent, and doesn't return. The giants Stand around his tent, facing outwards, and the smaller ones form a ring around his camp- you can see the glowing sparks of magic in their empty sockets. When you focus, you can pick out the flow of magic in each one: The giants nearly burning with power, while the smallest have barely sparks.

At least you can detect them, even without sight. Escaping is easy- any time they move closer to you, you either freeze up, or pick up speed. In no time at all, your back in your family's territory, breathing easier. Your tree has never looked more welcoming.

You tear up the side, flying into the nest proper. Mom smiles wide as she approaches, but pull up short when she catches sight of your expression.
"Lyra? Little one, what is the matter?"
"Ruins. The ruins."

Her face growns more concerned as she takes your hand.
"Lyra, what is wrong with the ruins?"
You take a deep breath, letting it go slowly, tension knotting throughout your chest slowly dissipating.
"There was someone, some mage- They were wearing a cloak, yes, I couldn't see- but they had skeletons. There were so many, even giant ones! And human skeletons, with shovels and the like- I think they are trying to open up the ruins!"

Mom's grip tightens on your wrist, and her face grows dark, fury staining her expression.
"A necromancer."
She nearly spits each word.
"Filth. Here for treasure, or the tombs of all the people of the forest."
Here eyes narrow dangerously as she finally releases your hand.
"He will have neither."

>>34841767

She storms across the nest, climbing the tree wordlessly- You follow her till she reaches the summit, pulling a small basket free from the branches.
A small tube comes free, and she pulls a strip of string free from the bottom, holding it aloft.

Pffffft-
A ball fires into the dimming sky, a flaring red star above your home. It hangs there for nearly a minute, finally sizzling out and fading away. Mom waits.

Across the sea of trees, blue lights answer her- more and more light up, a constellation spread over the forest itself. She speaks without turning, watching the answering flares as they burn out all across the horizon.

"Even fallen, even ruined, They are ours, Lyra. And we will never allow filth to disturb the rest of those gone before, yes."
Her expression is strained, excitement, worry and fury all over her face.
"Go down into the nest, yes. Gather your siblings, and rest as best you can. The night will be very, very busy."

You nod, turning and descending through the branches. Your brothers and sisters have gathered in the nest- they've all seen flares blaze over the forest. You recount mom's message as best you can- The boys look at each other worriedly, Aria grips her spear determinedly. Sara bites her lip, and Elle looks sick to her stomach- but they all nod.

>>34841791
huh, looks like we're getting more than just mom support.

>>34841791
You pull blankets over yourself as best you can, adrenaline still burning in your veins. You think you can't sleep like this, but your lids grow heavy all the same, and darkness coats your mind.

_________________________________________________________

You wake with a start- It's noisy, and the night is deep. Voices bubble up from below the tree, and the tell-tale click of arachne is echoed over and over. You pull yourself to your feet, and lean over the edge of your nest.

There is a veritable sea of spiders in the clearing below- many the same shape and size as your siblings, though here and there you can see the thicker bodies of those like your mother and you. Mom is below, amidst a huddle of spiders, all gesturing wildly as they talk in rapid-fire arachne.

You look over the small army- and it is an army, you realize. Nearly all of them are armed, with every imaginable kind of blade. Your siblings sleep restlessly behind you, and you step over the edge, heading down to the meeting...

>Stand with mom- Find out what's going on
>Speak with some of the other arachne
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready
>Other (?)

>>34841822
>>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready
then
>Stand with mom- Find out what's going on

>>34841822
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready

>>34841822
>>Speak with some of the other arachne

This is the first time we've met other arachne you know.

We definitely need to wake up Aria, she's our sibling-rival!

>>34841822
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready
Responsible Big Sis!

>>34841848
a point.
We should talk with them when we go down there.

>>34841822
>Speak with some of the other arachne
Ooh! New people! Let's talk, yes.

>>34841822
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready

>>34841822
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready

then

>Stand with mom- Find out what's going on

We could feel the magic in the skeletons. I bet we could manipulate / snuff it out like we can with Saras spells. Mention this to Mom. It could be useful in making the battle plans.

>>34841822
>Wake up your siblings before you head down, make sure they're ready
Don't want them to be unprepared, can't have them make us look bad,yes.


>Stand with mom- Find out what's going on

Guys, don't forget that letter from Lia we have to give to Mom!

>>34841961
Shit forgot about the letter!

>>34841822
>Give Mom the letter.

>>34841822
>>Stand with mom- Find out what's going on

Best to get the rundown from someone we know first?

Counting!

>>34841961
>>34842022
Let's not side-track Mom at the moment. She's, y'know, rallying an army of Arachne.

Put the letter in the tree. So it doesn't get ruined if we get messy. We'll git it to her when we get back.

>>34842145
Seconding. I know we promised Lia we'd deliver the letter but the whole 'invasion of spooky scary skeletons' sorta takes precedence. Just let her know about the letter back home when we set out.

Wake up, stand with mom, letter inna tree, here we go.

>>34842245
Though, we do also want to do some sight-seeing with other spiders.
Hopefully we overhear some of them.

>>34842256
Moms with a group, we can probably chat up someone

>>34842245
when is mom gonna get a character sheet?

>>34842245
What is spider small talk like? Do they chat about weaving for the most part?

>>34842557
weaving, nest-building tips, gossip about who is dating who, stories about skeletons.

>>34842245
Man, I hope our sisters and brothers are properly prepared for this if we're not going to get them ready.

You look over your shoulder at your snoozing siblings, and turn back into the nest. You shuck your extra bags, taking care to place Lia's letter atop the pile, before standing over your siblings.

You make the rounds of the family, shaking each, gently calling their name. Sara clings to your hand, refusing to wake, and it takes you a few tries to rouse her. Aria bolts straight up as you shake her, head twisting in every direction before she manages to calm down. The others wake at tehir own pace, and you head down into the meeting at last.

You reach the bottom of the tree with ease, dodging between unfamiliar arachne, making your way to mom's side. She's deep in conversation with a fe others, similarity armed and armoured. 2 more Women, and one scarred man, heavy lines across his face marring a few of his eyes.
"-probably trying to get into the catacombs-"
"-any idea of who it is? Not many necromancers arou-"

They quiet a bit as you step up behind Mom, who turns and nods. She plants a hand on your spaulder, pulling you forward into the circle.
"This one is my daughter, Lyra. She is the one who spotted the mage and brought the news back, yes."
The man carefully raises an eyebrow, though half his face remains still.
"Thought yours were fresh hatched, yes."
"She's not yet three weeks."

The women's heads snap towards you, and the man even manages to shift some of his scar frozen tissue in surprise.
"And she's already-"
"Yes. I've been looking into it, but I haven't found an answer. For now, though, there is something more important, yes?"
The man nods solemnly, and the women shrug.
"Yes." "Fair enough."

>>34843125
Mom nods, and turns to you.
"Little one, we need to know what you saw. As much as you can remember."
You dip your head in affirmation.
"There were many, many little skeletons. Smaller than humans, yes? And at least a dozen giant ones. Very wide across the shoulders, with horns. There were a few with armour, and they stayed near the mage- I couldn't see anything about them, they were covered in a cloak, hood and all. There were a bunch of human sized skeletons, with shovels and picks, and they went right into the ruins. The rest set up a tent, and a circle around the clearing, yes."

The others glance at each other as you speak. One of the women breaks the silence- her voice far more 'hissy' than the others.
"Ssstandard, then, yesss. Not ssssome grand magussss, jussst another fool sssseking power."
The rest concur.
"We do it like always, then?"
"Yessss. Crusssh them. None can leave the foressst"
"Yes." "Yes."


The meeting breaks apart, each arachne heading into separate groups of chattering spiders, who fall silent and form up as they reach them. Your siblings line up behind you and mom, waiting.

>>34843153

Voices raise throughout the clearing, instructions and war-cries in equal measure. It starts from the edges- spiders begin to move out into the forest, and the rest pile after them, a flood of fury-driven chitin homing in on their target. You follow after mom, Aria at your shoulder, the rest trailing behind as you move through the night.

Mom is issuing instructions best she can, snapping out assignments for each of her children.
"Aria, Lyra, you will stay with me- Sara, we will keep you safe, yes. Elle, Zach, Ephram- I want you to stay near the edges. Catch any that try to flee- they might be carrying messages. Stay out of the main fight, and be careful."
She looks at all of you, eyes glimmering.
"I love each of you dearly, little ones. Stay safe."

You grab her arm and squeeze, and she manages a weak smile in return.

Your legs churn in time with many other as you travel- A never-ending echo of clicks rolling through the woods. Animals take flight, despite the darkness, and you spot even larger shadows turning and fleeing from the horde.

The clearing is ahead- You can feel the pulse, the curl of magic, each point a walking corpse. A weapon.

A roar echoes through the woods, borne by many voices as the arachne charge into the skeletal army.


>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights
>Focus on Offense- Pick off anything you can while staying with your family
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?
>Other (?)

>>34843182
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?

>>34843182
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?

>>34843182
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?4what could go wrong (tm)

>>34843182
>>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights

Focusing on magic is very tempting, but I'd prefer mom not possible getting hurt.

>>34843182
>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights
We -are- defense variant.

>>34843182
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?
Aria can handle defense duties, but as far as we know, only us and Sara can do anti-magic defense.

>>34843182
>>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?

>>34843182
>Focus on magic- You can redirect spells- Could you tear free the forces reanimating these things?

We can attack and defend best if we can snuff them out with a thought. BUT if that doesn't work...

>Focus on defence- Watch Mom's back as she fights
Use that defence bonus!

>>34843182
>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights

>>34843182
>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights

Focus on our strengths. The variant we evolved into is basically designed for guard duty and heavy combat.

>>34843182
>>Focus on defense- Watch Mom's back as she fights

Magic and defense. We'll make this work.

I'd like 5d100, please.

Rolled 5, 2, 83, 79, 74 = 243 (5d100)

>>34843528

Rolled 6, 56, 36, 92, 39 = 229 (5d100)

>>34843528

Rolled 92, 46, 6, 47, 53 = 244 (5d100)

>>34843528
magebreaka!

Rolled 63, 52, 97, 69, 66 = 347 (5d100)

>>34843528

Rolled 88, 52, 55, 2, 26 = 223 (5d100)

>>34843528

>>34843547
>>34843557
>>34843569
92, 56, 83, 92, 74

92 56 83 92 74

And 1 more d100, because I am an idiot!

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>34843624

>>34843604
Guess these skellies ain't so scary after all.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>34843624
well, why not?

>>34843624

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>34843624

>>34843624
2 High, 2 Above average, 2 Average.
What are the dice gods telling us?

>>34843657
oops

80 and Writing!
>>34843681
That you're all pretty good at rolling dice?

>>34843681
that everyone loves spider-grils

>>34843681
>What are the dice gods telling us?
That this time around, they want to see Lyra pwn sum noobs.

>>34843681
They're telling us that Lyra is badass.

>>34843681
Telling us that an entire army of Arachne is not to be fucked with?

"Oh, I'll go into the Arachne forest and desecrate their sacred ruins. Nothing could possibly go wrong!"
Necromancer didn't really think this through, did he?

>>34844020
he probably thought nobody would care.
I mean, if we hadn't seen, would anyone have even known?

The sight isn't something you'll ever forget.

You know you're strong, that your sisters are strong.

But watching an army of arachne, outnumbered probably 3 to 1 or more, smash through another army takes your breath away.

You're charging in, just behind and left of mom- Aria runs astride, just off of mom's right, and Sara scurry between the three of you, safe in the centre of the triangle. At some point in the mad dash to the enemy line, Mom started screaming. Aria too.

You realize your mouth is open, throat is sore. You're yelling along with them.

The arachne hit the enemy line like an avalanche- bones splinter, skeletons shattering beneath weapons and fists and legs. The sentry line can no more hold back the spiders than a sandcastle can stop the tide. The crunch of bone, the shouts of the arachne are juxtaposed by the silence of the undead, bones rattling as the close in on them.

A human sized skeleton charges towards your group, a rusted scrap of metal in one hand- Mom sweeps her spear out and its ribcage explodes, skull tumbling through the air, the light in its eyes dying before it hits the ground. More and more of the creatures surround you as you advance- so many that Mom can't hold them all back. They slip by her as she shatters each that come within her range.

A pair of the little ones, armed with nothing but sharpened fingers and teeth close on Aria. She brings her weapon down overhand, smashing them into shards of bone on the ground. A lizard skeleton closes on you, and you laugh with bloodlust and the absurdity- It swings a heavy blade towards you, and you effortlessly deflect it, slapping it away with your buckler.

>>34844172

A wave of your hand- and the light in the creatures eyes sparks out, bones collapsing to the ground. You can feel the force dissipate, and you grin. More than one weapon to do the job.

Above Sara, a miniature galaxy has formed- her chanting is heavy, feverish, and as she finished, harsh syllable leaping from her lips, she points towards the advancing minions. The stars halt in their orbit- juddering in place- before being sent hurtling towards them, so fast that each orbs howls its wake, blowing through bone and weapon alike.

Skeletons fall all around you, torn apart by magic, by blade, fist and fury. Ahead, you can see the mage's tent- The armoured skeletons and the giants are starting to move: the mage has emerged, power gathering around them as they shout panicked orders to their rapidly depleting army.

Pick a target and a strategy
>>Keep crushing skeletons- deplete their forces
>>Head for the giants- those will be trouble
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>>Other (?)

and
>Offence
>Defence
>Magic
>Other (?)

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>Offence

>>34844212
>>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>Offence

I say we nip this in the bud.

>>34844212

>Drive straight for the mage
>Other = Offense

RUBY WIDOW, FIRST TO ENTER, LAST TO LEAVE.

MO'FUGGA SHOULDA KNOWN BETTER THAN TO CREEP INTO OUR HOOD.

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
that's how these things work. Kill the necromancer first.
The necromancer knows this, of course, so be aware of sneaky traps.

>Magic
slowly advance while sara uses what appears to be meteor storm.

Can we fuck with the mages spell?
Just blow it up in his face

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>>Magic
FUCK YO MAGIC!

>>34844309

>Slowly advance
>Ruby Widow
>The evolution most suited to be a shock trooper / tank

Yeah no, let's put our HEUG and Divine Blessing to use.

>>34844212

Dive straight for the mage.

Offense, kill the fuckers.

>>34844212
What's the range on our magic? Can we affect the mage from here?

It would be hilarious if we could flub all his spells and he never even knew what was happening.

>>34844339
We're guarding our family
Our defense is probably through the roof

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>Offence
Gank the mage.

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>Offence

>>34844318
If we can cause a spell to blow up in his face, I vote we do that. To funny to pass up.

>>34844379

We are guarding our family by killing the fuck out of everything that is a threat to our family.

Offense is the best defense.

Especially when we have the backing of a God of Protection.

>>34844212
>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.

>>34844212
>Head for the giants- those will be trouble
Let Sara get into a mage-duel with the necromancer; it'll let her level more.

>Magic
Anti-magic the shit out of those skeleton giants.

>>34844212
>>Drive straight for the mage- Even if it doesn't stop the undead, no need to wait for spells.
>> The best offence can work as a great defence

>>34844414
>Offense is the best defense.
Not if those little zergling-like skeletons get through and swarm Sara it's not.

>>34844477
yeah, we shouldn't really be moving faster than the family unit can.

>>34844477

And that's why we kill the Synapse Creatures.

Eventually they would slip past us anyway, like they did mom.

Also guys, remember, we can't use our own magic unless we have a convenient battery nearby, those Necromancers look like mighty good AA's to me.

>>34844212
>>Head for the giants- those will be trouble
>>Defence

>>34844490

But getting to the battle first, and being the last to leave is what defined our current evolution back when we actually had a civilization and standing army.

>>34844517
>Synapse Creatures.
That depends entirely on whether the Necromancer is needed to keep the undead going.
Since dungeons have been infested with undead before, without controlling necromancers, it can be inferred that once an undead has been raised, removing the controlling intellect does not cause them to stop following their last command.

>>34844565
but with him dead they wont have reinforcements

Driving in, countering spells, and why would I fight a giant armoured skeleton? I'll just turn it off, I can see the switch clear as day.
Lets punch a mage in their stupid magey face.

I'd like 7d100, please!

>>34844565

And Tyranids don't suddenly die when the Synapse creatures do either, they go feral, lose any sense of unit composition, and don't present a united front allowing them to be wiped out with relative ease.

Rolled 91, 27, 18, 38, 66, 82, 94 = 416 (7d100)

>>34844602

Rolled 39, 74, 13, 84, 52, 69, 14 = 345 (7d100)

>>34844602
Hope

Rolled 73, 65, 13, 40, 60, 12, 45 = 308 (7d100)

>>34844602

Rolled 53, 36, 1, 69, 81, 91, 93 = 424 (7d100)

>>34844602

Rolled 17, 96, 29, 60, 41, 57, 91 = 391 (7d100)

>>34844602

>>34844602
that's too many d100s!

Rolled 51, 49, 15, 22, 20, 88, 80, 77, 36, 32 = 470 (10d100)

>>34844648
No, more d100s. More!

Rolled 62, 25, 2, 76, 76, 45, 41 = 327 (7d100)

>>34844602

91 74 18 84 66 82 94
And away we go!

Rolled 81, 56, 69, 78, 65, 7, 29 = 385 (7d100)

>>34844602

>>34844602
>Lets punch a mage in their stupid magey face.
>their stupid magey face.
>their

You've being playing the pronoun game with the mage for a while now. It's a woman, isn't it?

Not sure how/ if that will change anything, but.... Oh, well.

>>34844736
Won't change anything, we're an equal opportunity face puncher

>>34844736
>>34845114
our character is also female

>>34844736
Its dad duuuh.

>>34845285
It's all part of some wicked prank. He's all like "HA! You should have seen your face when you thought I was raiding your ruins!"

>>34845335

Then he deserves to be reduced to a slurpy.

>>34845285
>Be married to an Arachne
>Know about all the Arachne in forest
>Know old monster civ ruins are important to Arachne
>Know how Arachne would react to shit like this

No way. Mom would never bother with anyone retarded enough to do something like that.

You can feel the spell building, mana overlapping, churning. You point towards the mage, screaming to be heard over the din of battle- Mom's head turns, following your finger, and she changes direction, thundering towards the mage.

You follow a step behind- Sara panting as she tries her best to keep up, Orbs spinning overhead, burning with magic. Aria lashes out with the butt of her glaive, stoving in a skull and stepping over its crumbling body.

The giant skeletons react to your rush, stepping between you and their master- One twists, arm arcing upwards slowly, a wedge of metal the size of your human body held it its bony grasp.

Mom's spear glows, light burning across its surface, illuminating writhing runes- She swings and the wind howls alongside the whistling descent of her weapon. The giant staggers as a wind of blades takes it apart, bones dissolving into a flurry of chips. Another steps up- but she's already mid charge, driving her spear through its ribs, another torrent of wind blasting it apart.

Another steps in, heavily armoured, and she parries its wing and returns one of her own- But the armour glows with magic of its own, runes flashing as the spear draws a line across the chestplate.

Another armoured monstrosity steps up, swinging down at you- and you step in, under the blade, catching its wrists with your own weapon. Bone splinters beneath the force of your swing, the creature staggering back, disarmed in the most literal sense. It bumbles into it's armoured twin, and you seize the opportunity- The force of the magic animating them is enough to give you a pounding headache, but you seize it nonetheless, tearing it free, armour clattering heavily to the ground as the skeletons fall to pieces.

>>34845381
A third and final armoured skeleton charges in- and is met head-on with Sara's stars. The orbs dissolve fruitlessly when they contact the breastplate- Until one shoots directly overhead, hanging a half second in the air- before it screams downwards, burrowing into the monsters skull, through the wide gap of its neckplate and into the armour. It collapses forward, and the four of you charge in- The necromancer frantically chanting, trying to complete the spell.

You can barely focus, but you twist the mana awry as they try to cast, blasting the cloaked mage end over end and slamming them to the earth. The mage barely has time to struggle to his elbows- hood torn from his face- when Aria charges over top of him, driving her blade down and pinning him to the stones below.

___________________________________________

The rest of the battle is a clean-up. Arachne swarm each remaining group of skeletons, smashing them down, picking off the giants one by one. With only simple instructions leading them, the undead simply rush the spiders over and over, till they've ground themselves into dust.

For the spider's part, there's remarkably few dead- a few unlucky arachne crushed by the giants, and one who was brought down when they tried to charge alone. A few groups take the bodies and depart in silence, and a few more of the smaller, unevolved arachne head into the ruins, to search out the worker skeletons.

Aria is dragging her spear, and Sara is staggering against your side, barely able to stay standing. Your head is pounding, and your undershirt is slick with sweat, but you've won. Mom stands at attention, spear held high as she surveys the battlefield.
"Enough of this, then. Time to go home, yes? There will be plenty of time to clean in the morning."

Your siblings nod their agreement in time with yours, and you begin the arduous process of dragging yourself back home.

>>34845404
>That's it for the evening!
>Thanks for playing!
>Next session likely to be tuesday, 2PM EST.
>Questions and comments answered while I'm still in thread!

>>34845419
Thanks for running REQM, exciting stuff. Have Aria or Elle reached level 100 yet?

>>34845419
Awesome thread as always.

Are you going to update the character sheets now? I wonder how close our siblings are to leveling up.

>>34845419
Looking forward to see any of the evolutions

>>34845446
>Elle
You mean Sara.

>>34845419
Were Elle, Zack, and Ephram able to get some fighting in, in order to get some more XP?

>>34845419
thanks for running!

>>34845446
>>34845449
>>34845499
>>34845500

Thanks for playing! You'll find out next thread!

The answer is yes.

I try to update pastes just before/after new threads, to avoid spoilers.

>>34845512
>>34845515
Thanks for playingq

They smashed a few of the skeleton sentries when the tried to close in and defend the tent. The necromancer didn't have time to give any orders aside from the standing ones- The extra dice from the initial combat was for the Arachne forces overall.

>>34845419
Thanks for running, guy!
You archived, yeah?

>>34845563
We have an affinity for earth. Does bone count as rock for these purposes? Or is it "death magic or bust" for this system?

We haven't really been challenged by this quest yet, good dice aside.

>>34845854
It's my first quest- Honestly speaking, balancing the game for fun vs dice expectations has been a little rough. I'm wary of setting the DC's high, and of binary pass fail stuff- Which is why I was using the fail+, pass+ type system.
It's resulted in things like losing your spear in the kobold fight, running out of web with the wolves- But you haven't really rolled bad at all, all quest long.
I'll figure something out.

Necromancy is separate from earth magic, and death magic is similarly separate.


>>34845790
Thanks!