choose your own adventure, episode 12a

“Then you’ve been the one talking the children?” you say, hoping to draw more information from the spiderling.

The spiderling tilts her head, her green eyes, all eight of them, regarding you.

“It is better to allow the herd animals to grow to maturity,” says the spiderling, “and thereby mate and propagate the herd. But Mother is indulging us, for she has foreseen the great culling to come. We may as well feast now, for when the cold ones return the herd shall be thinned for decades, if not centuries.”

“So I suppose,” you say, “that Lady Gwenaelle is one of your sisters?” That would explain the strength of your attraction to her. Spiderlings can produce any number of potent poison to induce hallucinations or particular emotions.

“The local knight,” says the spiderling, “has proven most easy to manipulate. As herd animals usually…ah. I see. You are attempting to obtain information for me. This is cleverer than I expected. But Mother ever warned us against overconfidence. The time for talk is now done.”

She thrusts out her hands, green fire shining around her clawed fingers, and you raise Heartwarden to protect yourself and Ulacht and Sir Thomas.

But the spell isn’t aimed at you.

The dead urvaalg stir, green fire flickering to life in their eyes. Living urvaalg are bad enough. Undead urvaalg are much worse. Urdmordar are masters of necromancy in addition to their other powers, and they often can create powerful undead.

Even as the thought crosses your mind, the spiderling surges forward, claws reaching for you.

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