The First Land Herald/432-09-07

Article Number: 20

Dateline: 432-09-07

MECHANICAL SPIDER DESTROYED, MANY MERCHANTS WALKED I am despondent as I write this. It has been many years since I was witness to such senseless death, to the Walking of so many good people. I will relate to you the story as best I am able, but I hope you will forgive the emotion that may color my experience. As I reported last to you, metal-augmented spiders began to invade weeks ago. Their presence was explained by an arachnologist of Asemath Academy as necessary to heal the Massive Arachnid, which was suffering some kind of sickness. As far as I know, no definitive progress has been made in gathering evidence to determine the source of this illness, nor how to cure it, nor how to stem the tide of biomechanical spiders. For at least the past two andaen, the Mechanical Spider was showing further signs of distress. Noxious green gas escaped into shops, strange shudders ran through the floor, low groaning could be heard. This progressively got worse. I saw cracks radiate across surfaces, oozing pale blue blood, only to coagulate and scab over. At least once there was a merchant covered in the stuff and reeking of decay. I heard a clerk screaming about spiderlings in his shop, although when I checked, all appeared ordinary. Today, everything began to tilt wildly. Patrons and wares went careening across the spaces, slamming into everything in their way. I made my way to the Raffle Center, as I had heard raffles were being called and feared for the safety of the group there. Unfortunately, Kentikatili — though he has always been otherwise a steadfast friend and raffle attendant — did not respond to my calls for him to bring me to Captain Kurmin. Strangely, in fact, he seemed distracted at first, staring at the wall. Then when I exclaimed that the Spider is falling apart, he responded, "No, she isn't!… She is fine. The Spider is fine. But you might not want to let your prizes pile up on the counter. I didn't bring a rag to clean it if that spot keeps oozing." I tried unsuccessfully to start organizing a calm evacuation. The adventurers were apparently quite content to stay in place with their raffle tickets, despite several more "spider-quakes." Eventually I gave up, gathering only a couple to move to the altar to Harawep, in the hopes that we could pray at least for a quick and peaceful death for Her Spider, something that would spare the innocent merchants inside. After some time, I returned to the Raffle Center and managed to recruit a great deal more — though perhaps too late. We continued to beseech Harawep, to thank Her for the good experiences we'd had on the Spider, and to pray for safety and a swift death. However, it was not to be. I heard a throaty, malicious laughter in my head and felt the pressure of a cruel gaze from all around me. The air felt charged with ozone, flickering sparks crackling from exposed metallic surfaces and tickling at my skin. The laughter suddenly ceased and I heard an old woman snarl, "Oh yes, little fool, you remain. Shall we watch the final weft and marvel at what has become?" I felt the twin prick of fangs at the nape of my neck, and my body went limp. I caught a fleeting glimpse of a spiderling, which rapidly bound me in a cocoon of spidersilk, dumping me unceremoniously at the clearing in Paasvadh Forest, where the Spider was moored. Workers were cowering in fear or running for the distant forest as spiderlings chaotically swarmed, a tide of fleeing figures racing across the bridge to escape the chaos. I forced myself to stay and watch. How do I describe it? This monstrosity, this Holy creature, was coming apart. Groans of twisted metal filled the air, and venting steam geysers erupted in thick plumes across its body. I heard the old woman's laughter in the distance as the Spider started to rise. I saw Captain Kurmin fall from the hatch beneath the Spider's head. The Spider suddenly reared up and, lifting one massive leg, slammed it down upon him, turning him to paste. I saw a woman who may have been the Witch scissored in two by its fangs, consumed by its open maw. The Spider was by now swarming with spiderlings, innocent people bursting from various openings and platforms, some on fire, some wrestling with or being eaten by the spiderlings. A luminous, coruscating, rainbowed light began to shine from the Spider's eyes as it shook off rivets, plates, and pistons. Exposed metal, glowing red hot, began to sag and drip. It cleaned itself deliberately, scraping off metal components, even removing one of its own legs. An old woman began to laugh, and the Spider seemed less solid for a moment. I cannot tell if this effect was truly real. Green and purple flames blossomed along the Spider's underside, scattering its spiderlings. Not appearing to notice, it made its way northeast, leaving a swath of destruction in its wake, along with a trail of blood and oil. I heard screaming and the Spider began racing to the east, suddenly clearly aware of the burning. I felt the Walking of numerous cherished merchants as it ran. A few of us took off, managing to beat the Spider to its destination: Acenamacra, and the sea. It tumbled off the cliffs there, landing and then rolling in the water to quench the fire. Just as it seemed to calm and cool off, I saw heat visibly stream from its carapace, distorting the air. Regions of its abdomen began to glow red hot. It began to quiver, explosions happening within its body, large portions of the thorax and abdomen bursting outward. It raced further out to sea, bounding to deeper waters, where it sank beneath the waves. The ocean churned angrily, and a series of flashes illuminated the depths as blood and oil blobs erupted on the surface. Finally, the water began to bubble and roil, a slowly growing sphere of churning steam and fire rising, growing, until it exploded outward and upward, a raging column of water crowned with crackling lightning, chunks of tomiek, and twisted metal parts. The colorless energy blossomed with intensity, and everything went dark. We were struck blind, our eyes bleeding. That was the last we saw of the Spider. There is more to tell, but I must for my own sake be brief. Allow me a few moments to commemorate those who were lost to us forever. Included is a listing of those merchants who Walked the Starry Road, each complete with a tiny portrait and a blurb about their life and deeds. The portrait of Tildi is the only one with an imperfection: A small smear mars one corner, as if it were damaged by water. Captain Kurmin Witch Keishalae Twilightberry Malva Worran Daelus Turialo Flintheart Blanve Vatari Mahilin Amenah Tildi We will mourn these cherished merchants, and we must look to cleansing the destruction caused by this creature. In grief, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, History's Voice, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief of the First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Acenamacra Asemath Academy Blanve Concerned arachnologist Daelus Flintheart Harawep Keishalae Kentikatili Kurmin Mahilin Malva Paasvadh Forest Tildi Turialo Twilightberry Vatari Worran

Author(s): Navesi