(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 3)

[Hello Purvis]

So that big spider. It's probably not smart enough to bait us, so I don't think we'll have to worry about horrible surprises if we go for its
injured side. Also, I ponder it's ability to pounce right with a screwed up leg.

>How fast have these things pounced in the past? Could we conceivably see it and get out of the way in time? Or is it more of a thing where we just have to guess when it'll act and act just before? If it's the former, how comfortable of a margin do we have?

[DracoOmega]

>How fast have these things pounced in the past? Could we conceivably see it and get out of the way in time? Or is it more of a thing where we just have to guess when it'll act and act just before? If it's the former, how comfortable of a margin do we have?

>They pounced quite quickly in past, although this one is moving slower in general than it was when it first struck. The pounce consists largely of a burst of speed from the rear legs while the forelegs scythe downward to scoop the target towards the mandibles and pin it; they haven't actually demonstrated any ability to jump. While you can react when it rushes, the primary issue is how much coverage the spider has, with multiple large limbs grasping inward. Previous dodges were narrow misses, but both spiders had been attacking from concealment at the time. You expect that dodging away from the direction of the pounce should be fairly reliable, but this would also be widening your distance from the spitter and letting the larger spider block line of view more full. Trying to run past it while it pounces would be trickier.

[Hello Purvis]

>Did there seem to be sufficient clearance to dive under it in such a way that we wouldn't be stuck prone/eating dirt if we did pull this off?

[DracoOmega]

>Did there seem to be sufficient clearance to dive under it in such a way that we wouldn't be stuck prone/eating dirt if we did pull this off?

>There's roughly two feet or so of clearance between the bulk of the spider's body and the ground below it. You wouldn't be stuck fully prone, but you wouldn't have much headroom either. You know it can lower itself at least somewhat, when the other spider tried to tear into you with its mandibles earlier.

[Oldmansour]

I don't know if this is what you had in mind, Purvis, but it's all I got. Feel free to stop me if you think it's too risky.

>Dive forward, towards the big one, then tuck and roll. Roll right under the big sucker and out the other side of his undercarriage.
>Assuming that actually succeeds, come to a crouching stop once we're clear of the big one, then throw that kunai at his little spitting friend's head.

[Hello Purvis]

It's not really already in front of us, though.

>Try this tuck and roll as it pounces, in hopes of making it of over us If we feel we're on a bad foot, though, at the last second, just try to dive aside toward it's wounded leg.
>In either case, get back to our feet immediately.

[DracoOmega]

>Dive forward, towards the big one, then tuck and roll. Roll right under the big sucker and out the other side of his undercarriage.
>Assuming that actually succeeds, come to a crouching stop once we're clear of the big one, then throw that kunai at his little spitting friend's head.

>Try this tuck and roll as it pounces, in hopes of making it of over us If we feel we're on a bad foot, though, at the last second, just try to dive aside toward it's wounded leg.
>In either case, get back to our feet immediately.

>You continue running forward towards the two spiders, watching the larger one closely as it shifts position. You can see its forelimbs twitch as you close the last couple feet. It's going to be close...
>There is a sudden burst of movement as the spider rushes you, forelegs sweeping downward. You dive! Pulling your limbs tight, you hit the ground rolling. This is perhaps even less pleasant than the last time you tried this maneuver, but there's nothing for it now. Whatever pain you have to endure is certain to be less than what that spider would do if it caught you. Even wounded as it is, though, the spider looms over you almost immediately, its limbs grasping at your rolling form. You make it past the outer edge of its legs, but another pushes at your side a mere instant before you would have crested it as well, knocking you off course and towards the spider's waiting mandibles. Its head dives.
>However, its impaired state makes its grip less airtight than it would otherwise have been. As you soon as you get knocked aside, you thrust a leg out and roll to your feet, slipping between a gap in the spider's grasp.
>You see you shot and you take it, letting your kunai fly sharply towards the spitter's head. It moves its legs to turn away from the projectile, but at this range manages only to catch it in the side of its head rather than the front. It gurgles and its legs shift awkwardly, nearly toppling the spider from the rock on which it was perched.
>Unfortunately, you're basically standing between two of the larger spider's legs at the moment, barely past the edge of its body.

[Oldmansour]

That actually worked better than I'd hoped. But now we need to get one of our kunai back. And with the spitter at least temporarily incapacitated, I want to finish off this big one.

>Sprint forward to a nearby tree, scamper up it, and leap onto the back of the big spider. And once there, yank our kunai out of the things head and give it a good stabbing.
>UNLESS that gurgling sound the spitter made was the same sound we heard before it fired. In this case, charge forward at the thing before it can fire, tear our kunai out of its head and stab it again.
>If it fires before we reach it, dodge and roll to the left, then charge, yank and stab.

[Hello Purvis]

>Actually, do we even need a try to mount the big spider? Could we just leap onto it from where we are successfully?

[DracoOmega]

>Actually, do we even need a try to mount the big spider? Could we just leap onto it from where we are successfully?

>You couldn't jump onto its back from a standing position without at least a running start, but you could probably scrabble up a leg, or pull yourself up onto it with your arms, after jumping.

[Oldmansour]

That's about what I expected. I wasn't sure about trying to climb a giant spider while it's still alive, and I didn't think we could leap up on it from where we are now. That's why I went the tree route. Although, now that I think about it...

>WAS the gurgling noise the spitter emitted the same sound as it's 'preparing to fire' sound?

[DracoOmega]

>WAS the gurgling noise the spitter emitted the same sound as it's 'preparing to fire' sound?

>Distinctly different. You're pretty sure this one isn't a sound it's supposed to make.

[Oldmansour]

I like the sound of that. Right, back to business.

>Sprint forward to a nearby tree, scamper up it, and leap onto the back of the big spider. And once there, yank our kunai out of the things head and give it a good stabbing.

[Hello Purvis]

>However, don't leap blindly. We've done this once before. If the spider seems like it's going to counter the maneuver, don't jump onto it.

[DracoOmega]

>Sprint forward to a nearby tree, scamper up it, and leap onto the back of the big spider. And once there, yank our kunai out of the things head and give it a good stabbing.

>However, don't leap blindly. We've done this once before. If the spider seems like it's going to counter the maneuver, don't jump onto it.

>You make a break for the nearest tree. In the corner of your eye, you see the spider's limbs shift around as you dash out of them; it follows closely behind.
>You reach the tree, grabbing hold of a branch and hoisting yourself roughly up. The spider's limbs grasp at the air where you were a moment before, rocking the branches just beneath you, but you make it out of its reach.
>Turning about, you size up the spider's position. It seems to be lurking in wait, with its limbs extended. That being said, this gives it coverage mostly in front, while impairing its ability to shift aside. You aim yourself, then kick off the trunk to get enough momentum to crest its reach; it still grasp for you nonetheless, but is far off the mark. You land roughly on the spider's lower abdomen, gripping its hairy body as firmly as you can to prevent falling off, then you try to pull yourself back up to its head.
>The spider turns from the tree immediately, trying to throw you off sideways. Still, your grip remains firm. Making it to its head, you rip your kunai free and lay into the spider nearly as savagely as you did the last. There are a few more moments of agonized struggle from the creature, but it's clearly losing the last of its fight.
>You hear another squishing noise behind you, somewhat different than the previous two.

[Oldmansour]

>Stab the sucker one more time for good measure, then look over our shoulder in the direction of that noise.
>Be prepared to dive off this spider in the event we have something coming at us.

[DracoOmega]

>Stab the sucker one more time for good measure, then look over our shoulder in the direction of that noise.
>Be prepared to dive off this spider in the event we have something coming at us.

>You give the spider another stab, then look behind you.
>You see the spitter on a nearby log, having apparently adjusted position to give it a clear shot at you once again. The sound does seem to be it firing, but... something is wrong. Much of the blast is coming out quite a few degrees to the right of where its head is facing, while more of it dribbles on the ground below its mouth. Some of the splash is still aimed at you, but with too little power to actually reach you. It splatters harmlessly at the feet of the spider you're riding; the ground starts to sizzle beneath it.

[Oldmansour]

>"HAH! Not so bad NOW, are ya! Should've hit me better when you had the chance!"
>How far away is the spitter?
>Stab the big guy in the head some more, until it goes down.

[DracoOmega]

>"HAH! Not so bad NOW, are ya! Should've hit me better when you had the chance!"
>How far away is the spitter?
>Stab the big guy in the head some more, until it goes down.

>You through a vicious retort at your damaged foe. Although, if you're perfectly honest with yourself, you're actually rather glad it did not hit you any better than it already has...
>About ten or so feet away.
>You keep stabbing, while your mount continues to weave and flail uncoordinatedly. Although, if the previous large spider is anything to go by, it can probably keep this up for a while without being any real threat to you. That one took quite a while to actually stop moving, even after you left it to paw futilely at the tree it was standing by. Glancing back, it's quite still now, crumpled in a splayed heap at the base of the tree.

[Oldmansour]

>We must look absolutely frightening right about now.
>One last stab, then leap off the back of the dying spider.
>Dash forward, then throw our kunai at the spitters' head. No way it can keep going after two headshots.

[DracoOmega]

>We must look absolutely frightening right about now.
>One last stab, then leap off the back of the dying spider.
>Dash forward, then throw our kunai at the spitters' head. No way it can keep going after two headshots.

>Your hands and arms are splattered with blue blood and scatted bits of spider gunk, your right hand has shallow acid burns, as does your ankle,  you've got dirt all over your clothes and you don't even want to imagine what your shoulder looks like, raw and caked with dirt and undoubtedly blood. It still hurts profusely. Frightening seems an apt descriptor.
>You give the spider one last stab for good measure, then dismount off its back, leaving it to stumble about in its death throes.
>Then you turn and dash towards the spitter, letting lose your kunai once you're close enough to guarantee the hit. You blade sails through the air and drives into the spider's head with a wet thunk. It seems your instinct was correct; the spider's legs stumble and splay, and then give out underneath it. It tumbles off the log into a twitching heap.

[Oldmansour]

>Pause for a moment, breathing deeply.
>Perk our ears. Can we hear anything moving in the underbrush, anything resembling the spitter's acid-y sound? Anything at all that might be more spiders lurking about?
>Is there any sign of the first spider, the one we chased here in the first place?

[DracoOmega]

>Pause for a moment, breathing deeply.
>Perk our ears. Can we hear anything moving in the underbrush, anything resembling the spitter's acid-y sound? Anything at all that might be more spiders lurking about?
>Is there any sign of the first spider, the one we chased here in the first place?

>You pause and breathe. Breathing is good. Being able to stand still for even a moment without something trying to kill you is good, too. ...is it over?
>You listen to the environment. You hear nothing at all resembling that squishing noise, and if any spiders are moving about out there, they're being extremely quiet about it.
>You can neither see nor hear any sign of it. In fact, you haven't caught a single hint of it since the first larger spider attacked you.

[Oldmansour]

>Let out another deep breath, then straighten up.
>Walk over to the big spider we killed first, then yank our kunai out of its jaw.
>Wait until the spitter spots twitching, then retrieve our kunai from its skull.
>Then find a tree a bit removed from the carnage, and sit down against it. Heavily.

[DracoOmega]

>Let out another deep breath, then straighten up.
>Walk over to the big spider we killed first, then yank our kunai out of its jaw.
>Wait until the spitter spots twitching, then retrieve our kunai from its skull.
>Then find a tree a bit removed from the carnage, and sit down against it. Heavily.

>You let out a very deep breath indeed, then straighten up and go retrieve your kunai from the fallen spiders once the last of them seems safely dead. All of them look quite disgusting in their own right at the moment, splattered and smeared with spider innards and blood. You cringe at the thought of stowing them without a thorough cleaning. ...although, your clothes themselves are going to need some work, too, aren't they? Any other damage aside, they're missing a shoulder at the least.
>You take a few steps away from the spider corpses and find a pleasant looking tree, then flop against it. Aww, dammit! Must your shoulder be involved in everything you do? You adjust your position so that it's not leaning against the trunk, and let yourself sag. This... was a little rougher than you were expecting when you took this job.

[Oldmansour]

>Okay, now that the adreneline is passing, and we can realize just how painful that wound is, let out the scream that's been building all this time.
>Once that's passed, have a listen for any sounds of running water.
>Look at the legs on the two different spiders. Can we remove one of them with the tools we have without enormous difficulty?

[Hello Purvis]

>Before we get into corpse mutilating, take a few minutes to just listen for other spiders.

[Oldmansour]

>Do these spiders yield contaminated meat when butchered?

[Hello Purvis]

I'm thinking, if we're going to take proof, we should take something small and not too bad mutilately.

[Oldmansour]

That's why I asked about their legs. I figure everyone knows what a spider's leg looks like, so seeing one that's three feet or so long would substantiate our story pretty well. Assuming we don't have to stand here for half an hour sawing at arachnid tendons with a knife. Or whatever passes for tendons in arachnids.
Come to think of it, to arachnids even HAVE tendons, Hanzo?