Log 070: Spider Regicide
[written, though if one listens they'll hear the sound of running water and the creaking of boats]
We're returning to the castle now, though at different paces. Myself and some others are returning early with those injured in the battle with the Imposter Queen. There were several severe injuries and one casualty: a man named Kanda Yuu [name crossed out to protect the innocent] who bravely placed himself in the face of a lethal attack meant for others. [She'll list the members of Group Injury, along with a brief description of their wounds if present.]
When we first entered this area, called the Eldritch Greenwood, we encountered a type of fruit that energizes whoever eats it - it tastes of banana and strawberry, and we are bringing samples of both fruit and seeds back to the castle for further study. If there are any residents skilled in gardening or plant-based magic, I would appreciate your assistance in cultivating these at the castle. They were all gathered in one area as though deliberately planted, so it's likely they can be domesticated for use in the castle gardens as well.
Shortly after passing this orchard, we came upon a collection of aged canoes. [She sketches one of the boats, pointing out the metal bits in aprticular.] They appear to be handmade. As the direction indicated by the spiders (both vocally and with arrows woven into webs) was into a swamplike area with glowing water, we took these boats for approximately a day and a half of travel into the Greenwood. About halfway to our destination, we were attacked by a giant boar that apepared to be rotting; it was destroyed before anyone was injured. Some heard it speak of "grinding our bones". There were also bodies of small, froglike creatures I'm told are called "Trevors" in the water that looked as though they had been torn apart. [And here she draws the Trevors, both an intact and a torn-up body, as well as a sketch of the charging boar.]
Once we had nearly reached out destination, we passed by several large metal vehicles stuck in the swamp. I was unable to inspect these directly, as my group's canoe was visited by a set of spider-human hybrid twins called Neville and Araina. [She has a quick sketch of one of the twins on Rin's lap and the other poking at Steph.] They led us to the solid group where we were greeted by the spiders' Queen, appearing first in the shape of a young girl. Naturally, she transformed into a giant spider and attempted to use her children to consume us. We fought back, sustaining injuries and with one casualty, until Joy, the original spider who asked for help, escaped from her prison and bit the imposter Queen, felling her.
Joy is now the new Queen of Spiders, claiming the twins and Queen who attacked us were imposters from the "metal beasts" who had taken control of the spiders. Although we were able to verify the presence of a second large spider corpse hidden from plain view, much of the truth remains a mystery.
If all goes well, we should reach the base camp inside the barrier this afternoon and finish healing what injuries we can. Jr. and others are traveling behind me in an attempt to gather more information, so we'll be returning to the castle in staggered numbers.
We're returning to the castle now, though at different paces. Myself and some others are returning early with those injured in the battle with the Imposter Queen. There were several severe injuries and one casualty: a man named Kanda Yuu [name crossed out to protect the innocent] who bravely placed himself in the face of a lethal attack meant for others. [She'll list the members of Group Injury, along with a brief description of their wounds if present.]
When we first entered this area, called the Eldritch Greenwood, we encountered a type of fruit that energizes whoever eats it - it tastes of banana and strawberry, and we are bringing samples of both fruit and seeds back to the castle for further study. If there are any residents skilled in gardening or plant-based magic, I would appreciate your assistance in cultivating these at the castle. They were all gathered in one area as though deliberately planted, so it's likely they can be domesticated for use in the castle gardens as well.
Shortly after passing this orchard, we came upon a collection of aged canoes. [She sketches one of the boats, pointing out the metal bits in aprticular.] They appear to be handmade. As the direction indicated by the spiders (both vocally and with arrows woven into webs) was into a swamplike area with glowing water, we took these boats for approximately a day and a half of travel into the Greenwood. About halfway to our destination, we were attacked by a giant boar that apepared to be rotting; it was destroyed before anyone was injured. Some heard it speak of "grinding our bones". There were also bodies of small, froglike creatures I'm told are called "Trevors" in the water that looked as though they had been torn apart. [And here she draws the Trevors, both an intact and a torn-up body, as well as a sketch of the charging boar.]
Once we had nearly reached out destination, we passed by several large metal vehicles stuck in the swamp. I was unable to inspect these directly, as my group's canoe was visited by a set of spider-human hybrid twins called Neville and Araina. [She has a quick sketch of one of the twins on Rin's lap and the other poking at Steph.] They led us to the solid group where we were greeted by the spiders' Queen, appearing first in the shape of a young girl. Naturally, she transformed into a giant spider and attempted to use her children to consume us. We fought back, sustaining injuries and with one casualty, until Joy, the original spider who asked for help, escaped from her prison and bit the imposter Queen, felling her.
Joy is now the new Queen of Spiders, claiming the twins and Queen who attacked us were imposters from the "metal beasts" who had taken control of the spiders. Although we were able to verify the presence of a second large spider corpse hidden from plain view, much of the truth remains a mystery.
If all goes well, we should reach the base camp inside the barrier this afternoon and finish healing what injuries we can. Jr. and others are traveling behind me in an attempt to gather more information, so we'll be returning to the castle in staggered numbers.