Planeside 2

[Recaiden]

[Road to the Forest]

"Would they be happier letting a black fox, a red fox, and a human do so?"

Cleo seems to be enjoying zipping around after Keiko.

"We'll just have to be extra convincing."

[Fenric]

[Road to the Forest]

Frederick mulls that thought over.

Actually... can either of you take on the draconian sort of shape Orochi's folk have? That's what the spiders would be used to.

Keiko shakes her head

Not me: no shape-changing at all for the next couple of months. Mom thinks it's safe for me to change between one head and nine now that the babies are set, but that's it.

[Recaiden]

[Road to the Forest]

"Afraid not. I'm just this sword of dragon until I can build a new body. If I even want to."

Cleo zips over to Frederick excitedly.

"But I can make you look like one! For a little while."

She puts a paw on Frederick's shoulder.

"Wanna?"

[Fenric]

[Road to the Forest]

Frederick blinks and looks somewhat nonplussed. This, of course, makes Keiko think it is the best idea ever.

Yes, exactly! That's precisely what we should do!

Freddie gives Keiko a flat look

Thanks.

Do it! Do it!

[Recaiden]

[Road to the Forest]

"What a gracious volunteer, our Frederick."

Cleo's tail whips a circle around the poor Vulpan's feet, and the paws go up to make arcane motions around his head, and with a small sound of jingling bells, a fairly comprehensive illusion of being a draconian is placed over him. He might not feel any different, but will probably notice the change to his muzzle and hands as he looks.

"Now hurry, Frederick. We'll follow along behind you."

[Fenric]

[Road to the Forest]

Getting up to the forest, the first obstacle encountered are a pair of Orochi's guards. This, of course, is no challenge at all and they bow deeply for Keiko and let the trio pass unchallenged.

[Spiderwood]

The path runs straight in here. Some webs can be seen off to the sides, but they are coarse and the spiders in them are small.

Too much light gets in here, and it's all little spiders, so the webs just aren't as good. The path will start to branch in a bit, where the workers usually do their collecting - but we want to keep going straight in. With Freddie's appearance, we shouldn't attract any particular attention from either the workers or the medium-sized spiders.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"Who are they anyway? The dragon folks?"

They're so cute, but so silent and mysterious.

"So it's only the big scary spiders. Great."

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick walks along quietly, taking in the scenery and observing the habits of the spiders as they pass.

Keiko bobbles

Dad's people. As I understand Grandma made them a long time ago after Susa-no-o killed Dad, so he wouldn't be lonely. Grandma is a strange combination of Creation and Death, and so we get the weirdest contradictions sometimes.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"Oh, neat. Kinda weird life-and-death, yeah, but cute thought."

Cleo is starting to take an interest in the spiders they pass by.

"Is it being here than makes the special silk, or are they special spiders?"

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Now Frederick speaks up

It's the spiders. Notice the lack of anything around that could possibly feed them all? They can and happily will eat hapless prey, but the webs themselves provide a lot of their food. They are collecting some energy or other... I couldn't find anything specific in Orochi's library about exactly what energy we're discussing... and that is their main source of sustenance. It's why they're not sticky.

Keiko nods

They will tangle you up a lot more easily than you might expect, though, and the strands are incredibly strong. We use specially enchanted knives to cut them. And the spiders are really venomous: even the little ones can kill somebody, so we try to be extra polite and careful around them. They usually are happy enough for us to clear away older webs for them - it's apparently enough work for them that they consider it a service for the most part. But if you cut into a web they're actually using, they can get really nasty... which given Freddie's description makes sense.

Frederick agrees

As the webs age, they get less and less effective at collecting what the spiders need. Eventually, they're just not worth the trouble anymore and the spider needs a new one. But the silk is strong enough that even they have some trouble with it, and they can't eat from the web while they're cutting it down. It sounds like the draconians and spiders have ended up fairly well symbiotic these days: the forest could never support the current spider population without their help, and the silk is the main driver of the kingdom's entire economy.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

Cleo nods, and then shivers a little bit.
"Not a little animal, not a single bug or bird tangled in the webs. I would hope the draconians would know what energy it is. Maybe you can divine it? Hmm. I wonder if they're even alive in the same way as everyone else. If they're metabolizing some other thing - did your grandmother make the spiders too?"

There's one obvious question that she hopes there's a good answer to.
"Did anyone bring specially enchanted silk-knives?"

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick chuckles and draws two eight inch long, single edged knives of a dark metal from his belt. They have odd, hollow handles.

Several, actually. These are the standard harvesting knife: they're set up so you can stick them on the end of a pole to reach higher. I've also got a shorter, double-edged version they use if they accidentally get tangled at all. I've also got some Universal Solvent which is effective on the webs, and three doses of anti-venom that are only helpful if you get bit by a small spider - but those are the most likely to bite, not yet old enough to understand the situation.

The Draconians clearly understand about energy, but the authors of the books I found didn't seem to care: they were all more practical field guide sorts of things than theoretical texts.

Keiko shakes her head

Not that I know of: they were here before us. Now that you mention it, I wonder that, too...

Frederick smiles

But you already know about their cousins: surely these are the same general sort of creatures. Think about it: I doubt that the celestial spiders go around eating lesser spirits back on their home plane.

Now Keiko tilts her head

Oooooh... they make jewely webs! I wonder if they'd let us have some?

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

Cleo nods and smiles at Frederick.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out. And I don't know. Maybe they just never wrote it down."

Okay, try not to get bitten by spiders, and then only the small ones, and then not more than three times. Seems straightforward enough.

"Well, they might, if they have the same sort of problem with them wearing out. But they must have their own processes for taking them down, one way or another. That would quite something else to bring."

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick grins and shrugs

You left me alone in a fascinating library. And likely so.

Keiko nods

Yeah.

They get to the end of the most obvious path, where there is a rather ominous sign warning that going deeper into the forest is a bad idea.

If you feel even the littlest bit of a tangle, stop moving! The webs are nasty, but they can't move on their own and if you catch it early then it's no big deal to get back out again. Follow me carefully, and never walk backwards, or sideways, or anywhere without looking that way first.

Frederick nods

These aren't jumping or hunting spiders: so while they may try to startle you into running into a web, unless you outright step on one they shouldn't attack you. And now Keiko's plan makes sense... people don't come in here, so there should be old webs from huge spiders deep in the endless darkness...

Keiko looks somewhat offended

Makes sense now? You think this was all some crazy random scheme? People don't usually come in here, Freddie, but where do you think the royal clothing comes from? We don't wear common silk.

she chuckles

But we're going a little further than that... to bribe a goddess is going to take the same stuff we made Tamamo's dress from. It never dawned on me that the huge old spider in the middle of the forest is probably just like queen what's-her-name back in the mine Freddie wrote about.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"And you read something on-topic. I'm impressed."

Stopping at the end of the sign, Cleo winks at Keiko.

"You act like you wouldn't come up with some crazy random scheme. Now, if the webs aren't sticky, we mainly have to worry about getting into the gaps of them, which we won't be able to break, right? Brushing past them wouldn't hurt."

She looks carefully around the sign and then picks a route around it.

"Uh, what's the difference between the silks from the little outside spiders and the royal dangerous ones and the queen? It's all silk, right?"

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick sniffs

Of course I did: I prefer to research things before charging headlong, unlike some in our company.

He gives Keiko a pointed look. And then Cleo makes a comment along the same lines. She chuckles

Ok, ok! So maybe I'm not always good at thinking ahead... doesn't mean I never do.

Then she nods

They put little trap-threads out, that you run into and they in turn pull these dreadful tangly bundles out onto you. They're almost always set so up that when you feel the first thread, your reaction to pull away will actually be the wrong way because another thread will be there: that's why you have to stop and look - you'll probably need to pull your foot and arm straight up, or off to the side, rather than back. And yeah, you can touch the silk just fine, and once it's out of the carefully set up trap configuration it's no worse than any other fine thread.

a grin

As the spiders mature, the silk they produce gets more even in thickness, stronger, lighter, and shinier. It also takes enchantments better... Here at the border, it starts to have minor enchantment even as silk - just wearing it improves your abilities and reduces casting-fatigue. The queen's silk is practically artifact grade in its raw form, and Tammy's dress is amazing.

then another chuckle

And so valuable that she hardly ever wears it. She usually wears the "normal" royal silk, made from the spiders about halfway further in.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"If they don't hunt for insects, or, you know, foxes, using these webs, and they live in a deep forest free of anyone else, why do they weave traps out of them?"

Cleo pouts in the direction she imagines the spiders to be.

"I mean, I guess they like it in the forest, but I feel like they could spin more and better webs if they were overtly cooperating with the draconians and not just economically supporting each other. They could probably get more things to trap that way too, since they do like it."

She nods at the explanation. More even silk is certainly worth it on its own, as are the magical benefits.

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick's ears fold down a little, which looks a bit comical with the dragon illusion

Um... they eat interlopers from their opposed realm, just like the Celestials. Orochi's folks find their remains sometimes... creatures from the Plane of Radiance. I think they're part of overall planar security, discouraging incursions from the other places.

So I'm betting there's an elemental fissure where the queen has her web.

And I think they need the trees. Or at least, these ones do: they're never outside of the forest.

Keiko chuckles

Is that so? huh. And just 'cause they're from Radiance doesn't automatically make 'em inherently good somehow, so get your ears back up.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"...is there a palace full of shiny sun-foxes somewhere too?"

Cleo has to wonder just how opposite it gets.

"Hmm. Is this the only forest of shadowsilk spiders?"

Maybe they could create more planar fissures!

"Ooh, too right. Radiant things are uh, suspicious. Too bright."

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Keiko turns and looks at Cleo quite seriously

The sand foxes have to go somewhere, right? They'd hate it here... and if you've ever listened to the lentil-and-chili-mad Kitnick talk, I don't think Myobi's garden and Myobu's pine forest would do either.

Frederick shakes his head

Not nearly! There are quite a few scattered around, this is just the only one in Orochi's domain.

And... whuh?

Keiko shakes her head

Shiny things are all pompus and arrogant. Don't let the glow deceive you!

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

Cleo looks to Keiko, nods, and then suddenly starts grinning.

"Are there no shadow deserts? Shadow peppers?"

Then she turns to Frederick and nods.

"Light is deceptive. You know, the Rainbow is no place for people like me."

And then, of course, she stumbles into a spiderweb as she starts to look back where she's going. To give her some credit, she barely jerks back an inch before freezing.

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Keiko stops and turns carefully to look

Yep, found a tripline... just not a very dedicated one. You're good: just pull your middle right foot straight up, go forward half a foot or so and set back down, then take a good big step straight to the left.

Frederick looks down the increasingly narrow and clearly seldom-used path

There's no way this isn't going to get awkward... I think we should just burn through the main path: they can't get unhappy about a couple triplines... can they?

Keiko tilts her head

Dunno... it's tempting... we've got some way to go yet.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

Mid right foot up, half a step forward, then stretch out to the left and get free.
Cleo breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thanks. But I think we should avoid that as long as we can manage. They'd be well within their rights to get mad about it. Once we really have to, it'll still be an option."

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Keiko nods slowly, Cleo's concerns are certainly valid: they don't need one of the big spiders angry with them. But hey... if it's safe to change between one and nine heads, surely adjusting her eyes a bit can't hurt? To anybody not looking at her eyes very closely, it looks like she's staring blankly down the path.

Frederick sighs

Ok... these are traps of a sort, aren't they? There's a spell for finding those... gimme a minute, though: it's not something I use regularly.

He rummages in his pack and gets a small spellbook out.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

Eye-changing is probably safe, and while looking at Keiko's eyes very closely is something not uncommon for Cleo, right now she's looking out for spiderwebs very closely.

"Oh, yeah!"
"Does it just find physical traps, or also trap-like situations?"

Really useful either way.

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Frederick grunts

Looking for one that's pretty generous in that regard... most of them were created with dungeons and ruins in mind.

But Keiko beats him to it

Ha! I was right! They show up really well... this way...

Pity she doesn't understand what she did, and can't actually describe that she adjusted her eyes to have a 45-degree polarization filter and added near-infrared rod cells...

So if you just adjust your eyes to be like mine...

Frederick grunts again, a little grumpily as people searching in a book often become

Doesn't help me much, even if that wasn't so vague as to be useless.

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"We can't just adjust our eyes, Keiko."

Cleo sticks out her tongue and waits for the helpful wizard.

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Keiko blinks

Oh... sorry...

Frederick has found a spell he thinks is suitable, and spends a brief while familiarizing himself with it.

Allright... let's try this one.

The spell only takes a minute to cast, and then he sighs

Better than nothing... but the default range is too long: there are soo many webs all around if you leave the path at all that it's just a muddle of red. You want to see, Cleo, or should I just cast it for you?

He offers the spellbook

[Recaiden]

[Spiderwood]

"It's okay, but like, these are the bodies we have. Freddie might look dragony, but it's the same fox eyes underneath."

Cleo eagerly turns and takes the spell book.

"Ooh, yes, let me see. Maybe I can work out how to make the range less. Maybe not, but I should definitely see it."

*wizardly contemplation*

[Fenric]

[Spiderwood]

Keiko nods

Yeah...

Frederick contemplates the spell himself while Cleo looks it over...

I think I know what I'd tweak...