choose your own adventure, episode 10

You decided to investigate the laughter of children coming from the ruin’s great hall.

“Follow me,” you tell the others. You draw Heartwarden, and after a moment’s hesitation, Sir Thomas draws his own blade. Ulacht, of course, has been carrying his club the entire time.

The doors to the hall have long since rotted away, but the interior is gloomy, despite being built of white stone. The only light comes from narrow windows high above, throwing pale shafts of light through the murk. There is no furniture, save for a massive stone throw upon a dais at the far end of the hall. Once a dark elven lord sat there, ruling over his vassals and slaves. Sacks of grain and corn rest against the walls, and you realize that the villagers do indeed store their seed crops here.

“There’s no one here,” says Thomas.

Ulacht growls. “It does not smell right.”

“I think…” you begin to say, and a woman walks into sight around one of the piles of heaped sacks.

The first thing you notice about her is that she is naked. The second thing you notice is how gaunt and pale she is, her ribs flexing against her skin as she draws breath, the joints of her hips clenching and unclenching as she walks. She looks about twenty, with stringy red hair and eyes that are glittering green slits in her emaciated face.

She stops twenty paces away, before the throne, and gazes at you, head titled. You would expect a naked woman to show fear of three armed men, but she only looks curious. For an instant she reminds you of a wolf regarding a deer.

“Madam,” says Thomas, “clearly, you are not well. Come with us and we shall find you some clothing and food.”

The woman opens her mouth…and the sound of four or five laughing children comes out.

Ulacht raises his club, and for the first time you see a hint of fear on the old orc’s face.

“I am very hungry,” says the woman in Latin, her melodious voice a contrast to her wasted appearance, “but I’m not really one of the true people yet. Soon, but not today, sadly. I’ve been very faithful. If I’m obedient and faithful and keep secrets, then I’ll become a goddess and get to keep pets of my own.”

“I do not understand,” says Thomas.

The woman snaps her bony fingers. “Oh, yes, of course. I forget what you really are. It must be horrible, to be as stupid as you are all the time. But it won’t worry you for much longer.”

She takes a step forward, and Heartwarden begins to glow blue in your hand.

“Swordbearer,” says Ulacht, voice thick, “I think…”

The woman makes a childish sound of glee, like a girl presented with a sweet. “Oh, you’re the one! Mother said you might stop by! She’ll reward me for this.”

Her face ripples, and all at once her features change. Six additional shining green eyes appear on her forehead and temples, and a pair of black pincers erupt from the side of her mouth. Blood-colored talons, long as daggers, erupt from her fingers.

You realize that you are in deadly danger. The woman is not human but a spiderling, an offspring of a human man and an urdmordar in human form. She will have supernatural strength and speed, along with the ability to use venoms of varying kinds – which perhaps explains Magistrius Richard’s hallucinations.

“We were supposed to save the pets for the final culling of the herd,” says the spiderling, “but I suppose Mother won’t mind. Kill them!”

The air ripples, and two hulking urvaalg appear on either side of the spiderling. They spring forward with terrible speed, one making for Sir Thomas, the other heading for Ulacht. The spiderling woman herself begins to whisper, gesturing in front her.

Like she’s casting a spell.

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