(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 3)

[Oldmansour]

>Can we pick one scent out from them that appears to be stronger than the others?

[DracoOmega]

>Can we pick one scent out from them that appears to be stronger than the others?

>You think the trail you were following may still be strongest, but it's somewhat hard to tell for certain.

[Oldmansour]

>Visual inspection of the area.

[DracoOmega]

>Visual inspection of the area.

>You are in a nondescript patch of forest, surrounded by stocky conifers and the occasional bush. The trees offer poor sight lines, though there are scattered breaks in the canopy. There is little low-lying grasses in this area, although the soil is dotted with patches of moss or small clumps of flowing plants. You see no obvious sign of spider presence, and while some of the shrubbery shows signs of being mildly disturbed, there is no visual reason to suspect it was not caused by some mundane forest inhabitant.

[Oldmansour]

>Estimated time elapsed and travel distance from first trail marker.

[DracoOmega]

>Estimated time elapsed and travel distance from first trail marker.

>You've probably spent not much more than five or so minutes tracking since the marker you tied. Given that progress was slow, you could probably double back there in half that time.

[Oldmansour]

>Probably don't need to tie another cord.
>Still, cut a couple notches in a tree with a kunai, then continue to follow the first trail.

[DracoOmega]

>Probably don't need to tie another cord.
>Still, cut a couple notches in a tree with a kunai, then continue to follow the first trail.

>You decide that you haven't gone far enough to tie another twine marker for yourself, but cut a few notches into a tree with a kunai instead. Then you attempt to continue following the original trail.
>This proves to be harder than expected; the path wanders to and fro, and several times you find yourself drifting off course without even realizing it. After a while, you are no longer certain which direction to proceed in or if you're even still on track.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, figs.
>Can we still backtrack from this point, pick up the first trail?

Unless anyone else has a better idea, this seems to be the end of this trail, far as I can tell.

[Hello Purvis]

I'd say go back to following the original one.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, figs.
>Can we still backtrack from this point, pick up the first trail?

>This hasn't turned out as useful as you'd hoped.
>You've been taking enough care to keep your bearings as you search that you think you can backtrack to any of the marked locations or the hill without issue.

[Oldmansour]

I have to agree, Purvis. Sorry, Hanzo, but it was worth a shot.

>Does there appear to be anything of interest, anything out of the ordinary, where we are now?

[DracoOmega]

>Does there appear to be anything of interest, anything out of the ordinary, where we are now?

>You appear to be surrounded by nothing but ordinary trees, plants, and rocks. You can see nothing that draws your attention.

[Oldmansour]

>Right, then.
>Backtrack, back to where we first picked up this trail.
>But keep an ear open for spiders, just in case.

[DracoOmega]

>Right, then.
>Backtrack, back to where we first picked up this trail.
>But keep an ear open for spiders, just in case.

>You head back, carefully following your own trail past the tree you cut notches in and the one you tied the marker around.
>As you start to make your way up the gentle slope in the hillside one more, you hear sounds of movement some distance away from you. It sounds like something fairly large.

[Oldmansour]

>Determine direction of sound, turn and look.

[DracoOmega]

>Determine direction of sound, turn and look.

>It's generally to your left. You turn and look in that direction, but can't yet see anything through the trees. You suspect it's too far away.

[Oldmansour]

>Continue walking up the slope, slowly, but keep a sharp ear on that noise.

[DracoOmega]

>Continue walking up the slope, slowly, but keep a sharp ear on that noise.

>You continue slowly moving forward, while you keep a close ear on that noise. It is definitely the sounds of something moving through the brush. It is not moving especially quickly and is fairly quiet, but the amount of foliage being disturbed is highly suggestive of its size. As best you can determine, the noise is not moving directly towards your position, but rather angled further to the south. However, you estimate that if you continue as you're going, you'll likely come very close to bumping into each other shortly.

[Oldmansour]

>Hold our position here, track its movement.
>Prepare pitchfork if it starts moving directly towards us.

[DracoOmega]

>Hold our position here, track its movement.
>Prepare pitchfork if it starts moving directly towards us.

>You stop moving and continue to follow the sound. It draws ever closer to you as it heads southwest. After a little while you start to glimpse snatches of movement through the distant trees; at first just branches swaying as they're brushed aside, but then a brief hint of a spidery limb, and then another. They look similar to those of the two large spiders you fought earlier, although you haven't gotten a good enough look to be certain. Its path continues to bring it closer to you, although it has not adjusted course towards you. You estimate that, unless it changes direction, it will probably close within 20 feet or so of your position before it starts to grow more distant again.

[Oldmansour]

>Move at least partially behind a tree, for some cover, then keep watching it.
>Do the limbs we've seen appear to be larger than the limbs of the big spiders we fought before?

[DracoOmega]

>Move at least partially behind a tree, for some cover, then keep watching it.
>Do the limbs we've seen appear to be larger than the limbs of the big spiders we fought before?

>You shift behind a nearby tree for cover, then peer around it to continue looking for the spider. Somewhat disturbingly, the sound of movement has stopped. You cannot currently see it through the trees, either.
>You didn't get a good enough look to tell. They were at least still in the same ballpark.

[Oldmansour]

>Stay still, senses sharp. What stopped ya, you big sucker....

[DracoOmega]

>Stay still, senses sharp. What stopped ya, you big sucker....

>You remain still and listen. Painfully long seconds pass. You continue to neither see nor hear anything from the spider's direction.

[Oldmansour]

>Are there any stones on the ground within reach?
>If so, grab one and throw it along the path we were taking before seeing legs over there.

[DracoOmega]

>Are there any stones on the ground within reach?
>If so, grab one and throw it along the path we were taking before seeing legs over there.

>There are a couple small ones.
>Which direction along that path did you wish to throw it? In the direction you came from or the one you were going?

[Oldmansour]

>Back towards the place we decided to turn around, the place where we lost the trail.

[DracoOmega]

>Back towards the place we decided to turn around, the place where we lost the trail.

>You quietly bend down and reach out for a stone, then stand up and hurl it back the way you came. It sails through the air, loudly rustling foliage as it crashes through them before impacting against another tree trunk with a sharp thunk.
>Once the noise has settled, you hear motion from the spider's direction again - much slower and quieter now, but definitely audible to your sensitive hearing. It appears to be moving towards the rock you just threw. Unfortunately, this means drawing even closer to you in the process.

[Oldmansour]

>Is it moving directly towards us?