(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 3)

[Hanzo K.]

At the very least though, we should be careful.
Can't be too careful when spiders may be involved y'know.
Based on what research I've done, the most likely suspect seems to be a Camel Spider, but the environment's totally wrong.
We're in a coniferous forest, Camel Spiders live in dry, arid locations like deserts and wastelands.
My command should give me more research keywords to work with...man, something so serious-ish has turned into a research subject for me. Thanks Draco.

>Do we know what kind of tree it was?

[Hello Purvis]

I wouldn't necessarily assume any real-world data would apply to this, given we're dealing with non-real world things.

[Hanzo K.]

Even so, some real-world info has to apply, given that there's a good deal of non-magic things as well.
I'm not sure how well this would go over, but I think that Rinnosuke might have some useful info...shame we're not anywhere near the guildhall.

[DracoOmega]

>Did the hole in the tree look like someone could fit in it? Perhaps a child, or a sufficiently small adult?

>No. The depression is no more than an inch or two deep in most places.

>Do we know what kind of tree it was?

>You believe it's a fir tree.

>Mark this location in our mind, then head off to follow the scent from the east.
>Carefully! Place is creepy.

>Head off and keep wary.

>You make a note of your current location, then turn to the east to follow the other scent. The environment has impressed more than little wariness in you, and you proceed carefully.
>As you move away, you hear a sudden frenzied rustling in a clump of thick bushes past the base of the scarred tree.

[Hello Purvis]

I suggest we call out to it. There's no way it doesn't know where's here. And put up the kunai if it answers in anything like language.

[Hanzo K.]

Sounds like a plan to me.
Shall someone more diplomatic do the honors then?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hello?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Hello?"

>You turn and call out towards the rustling bushes. As you speak, a form bursts free of the foliage, dashing west.
>It.... is a hare. Followed shortly behind by a small bobcat. You're not quite sure whether to be relieved or irritated with yourself. Perhaps both.

[Oldmansour]

>Definately both.
>Wish the hare luck and get back on track.
>How badly did that affect our pulse?

[DracoOmega]

>Definately both.
>Wish the hare luck and get back on track.
>How badly did that affect our pulse?

>You decide you are definitely simultaneously relieved and annoyed. Grumble, grumble...
>You wish the hare luck. Judging by their speeds, you think it will probably outrun its pursuer. The bobcat look a bit on the young side...
>You're certainly feeling tense at the moment, but you take some comfort in the fact that you didn't get too distinct a jolt from that.

>You continue eastward, tracking towards the other scent. If this is indeed the scent of a creature, you definitely suspect there is more than one, although you can't tell precisely how many. Still, everything looks normal... Another minute or two pass.
>You think you hear a very faint scraping noise against the bark of a tree, behind and to your left.

[Oldmansour]

>Do not wheel and look. Turn slowly.

[DracoOmega]

>Do not wheel and look. Turn slowly.

>You stop and turn very slowly to look behind you. In the corner of your eye, you catch something moving every so slightly against the trunk. Something green and spindly... like legs.

[Oldmansour]

>Green? Do spiders come in green?
>Is that all the motion we can detect?
>Are all we can see legs?
>Which way is it going?
>Are the other similar noises coming from anywhere else in the vicinity?

[DracoOmega]

>Green? Do spiders come in green?
>Is that all the motion we can detect?
>Are all we can see legs?
>Which way is it going?
>Are the other similar noises coming from anywhere else in the vicinity?

>It's a deep earthy green, but whatever it is is certainly green. The legs look at least possibly spider-like, although far too large for any spider you've ever seen.
>At the moment, yes.
>Partially turned, this is as much as you can see, and out of the corner of your eye, no less. You stopped turning once you caught sight of something.
>It seems to be very slowly moving down the trunk... It's currently several feet above your head on a tree a couple feet to your left.
>Not that you can hear at the moment.

[Oldmansour]

>Move another couple feet away from the tree, then turn and get a better look at the sucker.

[DracoOmega]

>Move another couple feet away from the tree, then turn and get a better look at the sucker.

>You shift a few feet to the right, then turn to get a better look at it. As you move, you think you see the creature freeze in place out of the corner of your eye.
>It is a spider, no doubt about it, with 8 long and spindly legs supporting a relatively narrow body. It is perhaps two feet across, deep green mottled with flecks of brown.

[Kips McKipzerson]

>Is it humanoid in any way?
>Try not to anger it, But be ready just in case.

[Oldmansour]

>Is this thing the source of the acrid scent, or is it stronger yet in the direction we were traveling?
>And signs of webbing about the thing?

[DracoOmega]

>Is it humanoid in any way?
>Try not to anger it, But be ready just in case.

>No. It looks quite thoroughly spider-like, aside from its unusual size.
>You're not quite sure what angers a spider, but you do your best not to agitate it, while readying yourself to respond to any aggression on its part.

>Is this thing the source of the acrid scent, or is it stronger yet in the direction we were traveling?
>And signs of webbing about the thing?

>While this shares some of the scent that you've been following, there is plenty more of it yet eastward.
>You can see no signs of webbing.

[Oldmansour]

This goes against nearly all my instincts to leave a potential enemy at our backs, but I just don't know if killing this thing is the right thing to do. So unless anyone else can think of anything else, I say we move on track down the source of that smell.

[E-Nazrin]

Well, that or we can try talking to it.

>Watch that spider carefully.
>"Hey."

[Hello Purvis]

If it's unresponsive, we can probably give it a wide berth. Also, assuming it's unresponsive, looking around for bits of cow may not be a bad idea.

[DracoOmega]

>Watch that spider carefully.
>"Hey."

>You lock your eyes on the spider. It remains still.
>It makes no response.

[Hello Purvis]

>Glance around briefly for cow bits. But be ready to get the hell out of the way if the spider moves; don't glance away for more than a second.

[DracoOmega]

>Glance around briefly for cow bits. But be ready to get the hell out of the way if the spider moves; don't glance away for more than a second.

>You look around for any sign of cow remains, taking very short glances away so as not to miss any motion on the spider's part. You don't see anything that looks obviously like the remnants of any animal, although it's hard to do a careful search and keep an eye on the spider at the same time. For its part, it remains nearly motionless.

[Hello Purvis]

>Glance toward the direction we were previously going. Does the way seem relatively clear, or are other signs of similar spiders?

[DracoOmega]

>Glance toward the direction we were previously going. Does the way seem relatively clear, or are other signs of similar spiders?

>You glance as far as you can in that direction without turning. The way seems normal, as best you can see. However, you can't look in quite the direction you were previously walking without mostly turning your back to the spider. Even then, you know from before that the trees kept you from seeing any great distance ahead.

[Oldmansour]

>Take a deep breath. Gut check time, Nazrin.
>Back up a couple of steps, slowly.
>If the spider does nothing, turn and head towards the stronger concentration of scent.
>If it reacts, pause, and see what it does.

[Hello Purvis]

>Back up more than a few, and glance behind us every so often if it doesn't do anything.

[DracoOmega]

>Take a deep breath. Gut check time, Nazrin.
>Back up a couple of steps, slowly.
>If the spider does nothing, turn and head towards the stronger concentration of scent.
>If it reacts, pause, and see what it does.

>Back up more than a few, and glance behind us every so often if it doesn't do anything.

>You take a deep breath, then start to back up while glancing behind you every now and again. The way seems clear behind, and the spider continues to remain mostly still. You get a couple feet away, and then a couple more. The spider's head seems to follow you, but there is little other movement from it.
>You decide that you've opened up a generously safe distance without the spider taking any action, so you turn and carry on towards the greatest concentration of scent.
>Barely have you taken a step forward before you hear a short, shrill cry behind you. So shill, in fact, that you're quite convinced no human would be able to hear it.