(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 3)

[Oldmansour]

Given that the better part of an hour's gone by, I'll assume nobody else has any better ideas. So unless anybody else wants to sit here until that spider moves...

>Make a leap for that tree.

[Hanzo K.]

Well, it's not worked in the past, but would you guys be opposed to making small talk with the spider?
Hell, for all we know it could respond verbally. which although improbable, is not entirely impossible. We've seen some crazy shit today, so it can't get any weirder.

[Oldmansour]

If you wanna try, feel free to give it a shot. It's already looking at us, so it's not like we're giving away our position. We can always go back to tree-leaping after.

[Hello Purvis]

I wouldn't recommend brachiating any more than we absolutely have to. It's just asking to fall and break something. While that might not be so fatal as it would be to a human, it'd definitely lay us out for awhile.

>"So, is this what we're going to be doing? Do a little bob once for no."

[DracoOmega]

>"So, is this what we're going to be doing? Do a little bob once for no."

>You speak out casually to the spider. You don't notice any bobbing, or anything else by way of reply; it continues to remain almost perfectly still.

[Hanzo K.]

>"I wonder if you can even understand me?"
>Shrug as best we can, current tree-bound situation limiting as needed.
>"Well, ether way we slice it little guy, it's been quite a day. If you ever get far enough to become a Youkai like I am, hopefully you'll understand."

Maybe this'll get a response outta the little bugger?

[Hello Purvis]

Possibility: Jump down and continue on our way. Make him have to figure out what to do next. Given he's probably not a spitter, we ought to not have much to worry about; if he comes at us we can nife him up.

[DracoOmega]

>"I wonder if you can even understand me?"
>Shrug as best we can, current tree-bound situation limiting as needed.
>"Well, ether way we slice it little guy, it's been quite a day. If you ever get far enough to become a Youkai like I am, hopefully you'll understand."

>You continue to chat with the spider, pondering aloud whether it can comprehend you and musing casually on what a day you've had. The spider remains unresponsive. If it can understand you at all, it is an extremely stoic conversationalist.

[Oldmansour]

If you think it'll work, purvis, give it a bash.

[Hanzo K.]

Aye, give it a go.

[Hello Purvis]

>Lower ourselves down to the ground. Hop down if we think we can take it. Try not to be threatening about it, just get out of that tree.
>Do be ready in case the spider does something we'd regret.

[DracoOmega]

>Lower ourselves down to the ground. Hop down if we think we can take it. Try not to be threatening about it, just get out of that tree.
>Do be ready in case the spider does something we'd regret.

>You grab hold of the branch you're standing on and lower yourself off it, quickly working your way back down. Once you get a little closer, you let yourself drop to the ground, landing in a crouch to cushion the fall.
>You keep an eye on the spider as you move. It remains still.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm going this way."
>Resume our prior course. Keep an eye on spidey.

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm going this way."
>Resume our prior course. Keep an eye on spidey.

>You let the spider know your intentions and then make good on them, resuming your prior direction.
>After you take a couple steps, the spider lets out a short, high-pitched noise and scrambles northeast. Another cry answers it from back in the direction you gave a wide berth to.

[Hanzo K.]

So, any ideas?
Because for once, I got none.

[Hello Purvis]

We be ready for the next wave. This time, don't follow the critter.

>As a reminder, what points of interest have we seen around here, and what directions have we found hints of futrter points of interest? And what directions are these places from our current position?

[DracoOmega]

>As a reminder, what points of interest have we seen around here, and what directions have we found hints of futrter points of interest? And what directions are these places from our current position?

>The stream you took a break by is an appreciable distance north-northeast, the primary location of the scent you're tracking is somewhere to the southwest, the noise you skirted around and from which you heard a second spider cry is a short distance to the north. The spider you can see is currently scurrying northeast.
>Other than that, the terrain has been fairly unremarkable. It is hillier than earlier, and looks to be even hillier to the south, but is otherwise similar to most of the forest you've traveled through.

[Hello Purvis]

>Southwest. Keep wary for anything like an oncoming spider, and take note of useful terrain features for dealing with them.

[DracoOmega]

>Southwest. Keep wary for anything like an oncoming spider, and take note of useful terrain features for dealing with them.

>You continue southwest, along your original course. Despite what just happened, no spiders rush out at you from the bushes or around trees. Nor, for that matter, do you hear much movement that could be attributed to one. You make your way over a few uneven rises in the ground and ascend into somewhat rougher terrain. The area is still well-treed, but many of them are shorter and stockier than before; quite a few would be difficult to find purchase on for swift climbing. However, the lay of the land might allow you other opportunities to gain the high ground on attacking spiders, by exploiting steep changes in elevation as one slope abuts another. Unfortunately, you suspect the larger spiders might still be able to pursue you up many of these.
>Before you make it very far, you hear the sounds of scurrying approaching you quickly from the rear.

[Hello Purvis]

>Face the noise, ready knives, get to some high ground if time permits. Be ready to jump or dodge as needs be.

[DracoOmega]

>Face the noise, ready knives, get to some high ground if time permits. Be ready to jump or dodge as needs be.

>You turn about, readying your weapons and shifting sideways onto a slightly higher patch of ground; you already have elevation on much of the ground in the direction you're now facing.
>Skittering towards you is a spider very similar to the one that ran off a few moments before, still about 30 feet distant.

[Hello Purvis]

>Does this imply it's not similar to a spitter?
>"Hold it!"
>Get ready to throw if it does not hold it.

So, do we do the nice thing and give it a warning shot?  Or do we just knife it if it gets too close?

[Oldmansour]

I vote the latter. We may only get one shot at an opening round attack, let's not waste it. IF it attacks, of course. Never know.
If it gets with 5 feet, I saw throw one at its head, before it can get into melee range.

[Hello Purvis]

Alrighty. That'll be the plan.

[DracoOmega]

>Does this imply it's not similar to a spitter?
>"Hold it!"
>Get ready to throw if it does not hold it.

>It does not look like the spitter, no.
>You call out for the spider to stop. It shows no signs of slowing its pace, closing another few feet.
>You ready your shot.

[Hello Purvis]

>"If you get too close, I am going to cut you."
>Let it get closer. If it gets within a couple yards with no sign of slowing, or if it springs at us, throw a kunai at it.
>In the case of the former, move sid after throwing. In the case of the latter, dive aside.

[DracoOmega]

>"If you get too close, I am going to cut you."
>Let it get closer. If it gets within a couple yards with no sign of slowing, or if it springs at us, throw a kunai at it.
>In the case of the former, move sid after throwing. In the case of the latter, dive aside.

>The spider continues to close without obvious acknowledgment of your statement. However, once it reaches about 10 feet, it stops suddenly and makes a lower-pitched sort of creaking sound.

[Hello Purvis]

>Does this sounds like any other sort of noise we've heard a spider make?
>Does it seem to be making any other kind of movements?

Either it's talking, it's setting something up, or it's being a really suicidal homing beacon.

[DracoOmega]

>Does this sounds like any other sort of noise we've heard a spider make?
>Does it seem to be making any other kind of movements?

>It's considerably lower-pitched than the previous cry you've seen this type of spider make, and not especially like any other you've heard so far today.
>It seems to be shifting its position back and forth slightly, but not moving much in any particular direction.

[Hello Purvis]

>Given we've heard spiders squeal in pain and surprise, does this noise feel anything like that?
>Take a deliberate step to the side.
>Do keep ears open for other spiders.