War of Dragons 2: The Spider Goddess

Andong is a small town within the Thor Kingdom region. It was started by a small commune of Adventurers. And whilst those Adventurers are gone now, the town is still populated by a healthy group of Landers who've been allowed to call it their home.

It's largely farming community, with some nice houses built up to a slightly more 'modern' standard. There's currently music coming from it, as the occupants are celebrating a small religious cerimony. All of the Landers are near the main square, holding a tiny little festival, and praying to a newly erected statue at the center of the town, which looks like a human woman above the hip, but with a spider-like body for the rest of her.

Some people are bowing over, as they pray to the statue, whilst others are taking a more relaxed approach to this worship. Eating some simple Thor sweets.

All is going well, as the Yamatoan Adventurers take some time to peek in on what is going on. Perhaps some of them have gotten themselves involved with the festivities. Perhaps they've inquired about the religion that is simply described as 'the Spider Goddess which protects us'. It seems a largely peaceful situation...

Right up until the point that a group of Thor soldiers step into town, not yet aware of the Adventurers mixed into the mess. A heavy-set Pooka that looks like they did some serious steroids motions for his team to spread out; "Smash the statue!" is the immediate demand, followed by; "Anyone who resists, do away with them." Followed by the soldiers dutifully stepping forward. There's some hesistance amongst some of them. Some polite requests of people to get up and stop praying. Reminders that praying for Monsters is not permitted by Law, and will only empower them.

It takes but one Lander. One unlucky one to pull their arm back, to refuse to get up, for everything to immediately turn into a mess. A single stab. A single shattering of light of a Lander... before people scream and try to run.

    Merek was with the scouting party, and it seems that he's taking his time to see what people look to be up to in the town, only for him to watch as the people come in from Thor. "What's this about?" he asks, then he's watching when the Lander is shattered, only for him to draw his sword, and prepare. He tries to shield with his magic, only for him to be run into by multiple people, taking a bit of the health from him. "We can't let you get away with that!"

Schneider is watching the scene, puzzled, because he also thinks that monster-worship is bad. But these people don't seem particularly bad. Schneider's visited player-founded villages before, and it always strikes him as odd that some players want to go native, so to speak. But this one isn't players any longer, and ... what is it they're doing? He's not entirely sure, though maybe he's researched it before in his many reviews of old, odd texts.

But now the fewmets have hit the windmill, and it's a stampede, and he'd like to not be run over. Quick as a flash, he chants, quietly, and a series of small shields form up around him. Whenever someone seems about to trample him, a small shield flashes visible, them fades, the person sent caromming off in a different direction.

    Doing her part, Fuka accompanies the Yamato party as 'a scout', 'blending in' with the locals and... well okay, she's not. Not at all scouty or blendy. She's just trying to show some degree of spirited intent to play along and not immediately doom their group to battle at the slightest hint of Crowned. An intent about to be sorely tested.

    "Okay, that's just rude." she mutters as the soldiers declare their intent to smash the statue of this town's protector. She was actually rather enjoying the festivities and, while she has no particular love of spider women, she actually doesn't have any particular dislike of spiders either. And the statue IS kind of cute she supposes, if you're into legs. Lots and lots of legs. And eyes. Lots... no wait, apparently just two of those!

    About to move into action, Fuka's caught off-guard as the crowd begins to flee the murderous guards. Trying not to hurt anyone, even by simply standing her ground and letting them bounce off her reinforced vambraces, Fuka ends up taking a few hits by those pushing past and around her. She probably should have just turned and gone with the flow, but no, screw that. These jerks just murdered someone. At a festival! Staggering from the impact of standing her ground against the flow of the crowd, Fuka looks around for the others she knows are there, trying to decide who else might be making a stand. Hopefully not all of them got beat up in the process.

There is a Prophylaxis present tonight. Why? Why is the doctor of Tolbana here, of all places?

Well, because he's quite curious about this whole Spider Worship thing. The Spider Goddess is a unique subject of interest for the good Doctor, and the fact is that she is someone that he wants to know more about. And the best way to learn is to ask! The Doctor has spent this past little while talking to the various Landers, sharing in their festive treats and inquiring about the customs of their goddess. That she's a monster is...

Well, he doesn't seem bothered for some reason.

Maybe he knows more than just a 'tourist' might...?

But when the slaughter begins, he is just out of position for long enough that the stampede basically starts on top of him. It isn't until he's bloodied by the roiling crowd that he manages to steady himself, wreathed in a protective bubble of crystalline light. "Seriously? We were having a good time here, and you just had to crash the party?" The doctor grunts, conjuring serpentine vines to snap at the ankles of the incoming soldiers-- but he's still a little dizzy, his concentration isn't quite as it aught to be...!

    Finding a town that celebrated and worshipped a monster goddess was quite impressive to a certain monster loving necromancer. In fact on some levels it was encouraging, and continued to lead Setsuna to the idea that not all monsters are created with hate in their eyes. So while Setsuna isn't signing up for the church of the spider goddess, he is definately watching the crowd and petting his three headed doggo. "See I told you. That can be you one day. Heck in my world your kind was fierce guards and legendary beasties. So don't you worry we will get you up there and no one will be able to defeat you. Even get you rivaling that kaiju we have locked up." Sipping from a canteen he just goes back to people watching.

     People watching is rather boring that is until the soldiers show up and stab someone. Thats fine, they got a doctor on scene somewhere but now after the stabbing their is bleeding. Then the bleeding leads to screaming and flailing and then running. Standing up Setsuna looks over at his cerberus, "OK parties over here lets get safe before we get..." It would appear Demon the Cerberus has misunderstood Setsuna's intent as not only do they plant their feet unwilling to move, they Setsuna over and stand up him keeping him pinned, face down in the ground for extra protection of course. Setsuna has become a doormat and is definately walked on by more then a large 3 headed dog.

     Finally the necromancer manages to pull his head up enough to chastise and tell the cerberus something more. "Don't just stand on me you three headed $#^&*$&#&* go and get them. " So of course the Cerberus kicks back with their feet as if wiping them on Setsuna before charging forward charged with dark magic as it slashes at the nearest soldier near the statue.

Mikage is perched upon one of the village rooftops, crouched with her hood pulled slightly forward, keeping most of her face in shadow. The Were Fang had simply been watching the festivities, curious as to what would cause people to start worshiping such a creature.

And then, the goonsquad appears. With her perched position, she is under little danger from the rampaging people. However, Rama is not so lucky. The cat is down on ground level, and he has to quickly slip into the shadows between some buildings to avoid being stepped on by people running by.

Mikage hops down next to him, running a hand along his back. "Looks like we have trouble, my friend. Let's make sure they can't get any reinforcements while the others work on the problem." She informs the lynx, tracing a hand down his spine before the cat races out of the shadows.

Any new additions trying to enter the town are bound to end up getting a very cold bite from a very magically inclined feline.

Schneider is watching the scene, puzzled, because he also thinks that monster-worship is bad. But these people don't seem particularly bad. Schneider's visited player-founded villages before, and it always strikes him as odd that some players want to go native, so to speak. But this one isn't players any longer, and ... what is it they're doing? He's not entirely sure, though maybe he's researched it before in his many reviews of old, odd texts.

But now the fewmets have hit the windmill, and it's a stampede, and he'd like to not be run over. Quick as a flash, he chants, quietly, and a series of small shields form up around him. Whenever someone seems about to trample him, a small shield flashes visible, them fades, the person sent caromming off in a different direction. Looking around at the Thor troops, he realizes they're more of a threat than some possible monsters, but his standby spells are heavy on the catastrophic overkill, which would be bad in close quarters. Plus burning people's village down would cause /more/ problems he doesn't need. So, he will pull out one of his smaller spells, chanting, "Tai-to-ro! Blow this enemy away! Anthem!" It's not a boom at all, it's absolutely a single target fire spell, impacting the unfortunate target, but not exploding in a huge radius around him. Who is this man who's replaced Schneider?

The Thor Kingdom.

Woden can't say he's ever been here. Yet, all people, regardless of wars or rumors of war, deserve to be in peace, whatever that peace may yet be. He followed his group of adventurers across the land, though he narrows his eyes as soldiers begin to attack. His shield is raised as the warrior suddenly emerges, his sword drawn, his cape flowing. Armor glinting in the light.

"This must cease."

He charges into the battle, his blade raised as if to strike at a nearby Thor troop!

    Miyako is one of those people that just seems to turn up pretty much anywhere and everywhere. That she should find herself in the Thor Kingdom is thus no surprise. Why she would wander this way instead of focusing on the rebuilding of Shibuya, she's not quite sure. Or so she'll claim if anyone asks.

    That she steps out of the way of an onrushing soldier by simply slipping into the shadows and away should surprise no one at all who knows her. That she slips -out- of said shadows to slash down at the thug's elbows with her war-fans is also no surprise at all to anyone except the thug himself. "Goodbye," she whispers, smiling impishly as she slips back into the shadows to choose her next prey, humming a little tune.

Kaydon had been mingling, wearing a heavy cloak to keep himself warm, as he peruses the festivities of the Landers. These people, they're not the ones he's upset with. They're not the ones who waged war on his home and killed people he cared about.

It'd be so easy to just cut loose on them but that would accomplish nothing. Instead he just keeps himself busy, buying some food, until he spots the armored soldiers coming into town, "Here we go."

He starts making his way towards the soldiers, but he's not fast enough before one of them kills a civilian. Then the panic sets in. Kaydon is instantly knocked down as the crowd starts to run, but he pushes himself back to his feet. He gets in between one of the soldiers and one of the Landers, a young woman who he was swinging his blade towards, when Kaydon grabs the blade out of the air in his armored gauntlet. He can still see his HP going down from the blade hitting him, but he grips it tighter in his hand, the red line glowing brighter, as he shifts into his gnoll form, rising up above the soldier that he grabbed the sword.

"People who can't use these responsibly shouldn't have them."

He swings his left arm out from under his cloak, the mastercraft damascus blade on his gauntlet shattering through the sword in his right hand, "Run. Now. Or you won't have a second chance to do so."

The stampede of people is rough and sudden. Enough Adventurers being bowled over, with the Thor Army lashing out thinking it is being attacked in that moment. But things quickly go from luke-warm to hot as the Adventurers of Yamato strike back!

Vines crawl up the ankles of some of the soldiers. Trying to lash and grab at them. Blades quickly make work of the greenery as they come up. Prophylaxis' sight constantly being cut off by the fleeing Landers.

But he can tell that at the outer limits of town, more soldiers are coming in to this mess! Some of them trying to capture the fleeing crowds.

He can also see Mikage's feline jumping down into the midst of soldiers moving to reinforce, and each being bound to the ground by the ankle-biting feline. Chilling them out with cold bites and rooting them!

Followed by a detonation of flame and light as Schneider shatters one of them. A single spear of flame ripping through the soldier. Hidden amidst the shadows cast by the spontaneous flame, Miyako manages to not quite go unnoticed as she shatters one of the thugs by the elbows, ripping it off. They go to the ground, clutching it. But lacking someone healing them in time, they soon shatter. The light of their death warning the Thor Kingdom to her presence.

On the inner side of town, Setsuna's Cerberus soon uproots one of Prophylaxis' plants by biting into the neck of one of the Landers and pulling them literally 'off their feet', followed by a shatter of light. Setsuna's dark magic soon leaving might light to enter the mid-day festivities.

Woden rushes the Thor Troops, only to get his blade grabbed by the bulky looking Pooka of the Thor Kingdom. Holding them by their blade as if it were nothing. "What's this? Not only do you pray to Monsters, now you hold the Enemy in your midst?!" The man demands to know.

Followed by the Pooka laying a hand to Woden's chest, summoning a blast of powerful green air... and then releases it, aiming to send the Sylph right into a nearby wall!

He then shouts at another Soldier, who has decided to run away in response to the appearance of Kaydon in his Gnoll form. "Get back here, you coward!" But there's no getting into that guy's head.

The soldiers spread out. Some of them climbing the farming community roofs, aiming glowing arrows at them. Activating Sword Artes and raining arrows down upon the inner town area. Some of the arrows getting dangerously close to the Landers.

Coming in front the outside, though some of them are rather frozen in place, blade wielders step in. Trying to strike at Mikage's Lynx, while she herself is being rained upon by arrows by the inner town team. Schneider is getting bumrushed by two Pooka warriors.

Arrows are easy enough to avoid, under the protection of nearby buildings and their solid roof overhangs. A couple thud into wood around Mikage as she steps out, grabbing for her sword as she steps forward, moving to join Rama.

A moment later, she seems to almost appear out of nowhere, stopping one of the bladed attacks that comes too close to Rama, her weapon glowing with a faint aura of light around it. "Didn't they ever teach you to pick on someone your own size?"

The Were Fang quirks a grin, scooping up Rama in one arm and using the other hand to lash out with a magical spell that runs down along her arm and out into the air in front of her with a jolt of icy water magic. It extends into what looks like a taloned hand, the claws slashing at the air and threatening to slice through the defenses of the one who had attacked Rama.  

"If you value your lives, I suggest you take your business elsewhere and leave these people be." She lightly sweeps her sword in front of her, setting Rama down in the process. "Otherwise, you're in for a world of hurt."

*Thunk!*

Woden's eyes widen behind that helmet as his blade is caught by the large, bulky Pooka. Those eyes glow a faint blue as he stares upon his target, his enemy. "Prayer or no...they are free to make their own decisions. And you -" A radiating energy starts to glow around his body. "Don't belong here, /monster/." But suddenly, there's a hand on his chest.

His eyes widen.

*VOOOOOM!*

Woden goes sailing into a nearby wall! The energy coating his body protecting him from damage, though that still was /felt/ by the warrior. Light starts to glow in his shield hand, as he suddenly plants his hand onto the ground, a pillar of light descending over the top of the bulky Pooka, as if to try smash the bastard straight into the ground with the blast!

REVENGE STRIKE.

Woden would not be denied so easily. "Protect the Landers!" He calls to his allies.

    Her previous attempts to fire lightning at one of the attackers proving ineffective, Fuka decides to be a bit more direct. "Fine, subtle can go to hell!" she shouts, drawing her oversize lightning blade. Yeah apparaently Fuka thinks lightning is subtle.

    As she's attacked by one of the Palace Landers, she contemptuously smacks his strike aside with her armoured forearm. The followup to this block is a powerful series of sashes, one move's recovery sweeping into the next move's strike, too broad to easily dodge, too powerful to easily block. All the while she cackles maniacally!

This time, the good doctor is actually prepared for the nonsense he's expected to deal with. Today's nonsense: Enchanted arrows-- which, honestly, isn't all that bad. There's no gigantic monkey tiger throwing skeleton-pulverizing punches or something equally absurd today, anyway. Charged bolts flash and shatter in brightly colored explosions against the doctor's barrier. He even has the time and wherewithal to expand his protective shade, shielding several landers from the deluge of projectiles. "Oh? I thought you all were supposed to be protecting these people against us? And yet, it seems the truth of the matter is quite different. Fascinating."

Over in the distance, more soldiers threaten to pour into town. The doctor's brow furrows. He slams his staff into the ground, earth-aspected gem digging between the flagstones of the slate-packed road. Emerald shoots sprout from between the rocks, surging like a verdant wave until finally growing into a writhing hedge of brambles, skewering several of the incoming attackers and preventing the remainder from making it any deeper into town. "To think, a few moons ago I was smiting you people indiscriminately. Hmhm, well, I suppose that hasn't really changed. You soldiers have always been my targets."

Schneider frowns as he's bumrushed by a pair of Pooka. The incoming attacks are somewhat confused, though, and he's able to deflect them with barely any actual effort, his shielding techniques bouncing the attacks with negligent ease. Unfortunately, he's still constrained by the close quarters and the trying to avoid burning the village. This presents a problem for Burn Everything And Sift Through the Ashes Schneider.

So he pulls another low level spell out of his repertoire, putting on just enough to incinerate his target. "Go Sai Cross! Explosions, become tempests! Van War!" The flame, superheated, is a narrow bolt, and it strikes it's target. It doesn't do a ton of damage, he /was/ holding back, but it seems that with the lingering DoT at the end, it's enough.

    Merek sweeps along the people while he lifts up a hand after his firebolt, only to bring it forward towards more of the people invading. "You know what, I'm not going to waste time explaining anything to people that will kill innocent folk." He then summons a ball of light with a flame into his palm and sends the signal flare right into the face of the enemy, in an attempt to drive them to the ground with his palm and make sure that they take the entire Wave Arte!

Kaydon throws his cloak off of himself as the battle is joined. Hopefully that Lander will reconsider his life choices now that he's on the run. He was still a kid, maybe he'll go home to his family. Either way the gnoll isn't going to let the slaughter happen. Not when he can do anything to stop this. Off his back, he draws his gunblade, the weapon's cylinder clicking into position.

"Everyone take shelter!" Kaydon calls out to the Landers, as he swats a few arrows out of the sky with his gunblade, keeping himself and anyone around him safe. With those arrows down, Kaydon rushes at one of the soldiers on the ground, snapping a downward strike with his gunblade, rotating around after the first hit, to bring a horizontal follow up strike, trying to lay out the soldier with the pair of rapid strikes.

    The soldiers are a lot less threatening when they are not causing a stampede, so much so that he almost feels bad. Really these soldiers are more like children then ...oh there is an idea. Setsuna looks at the statue and dances his way through the crowd until he climbs up onto the statue , sitting on the spider body and looking at the soldier in charge. "You know what, I learned how to handle bullies a long time ago. I'm telling!" Taking a moment , he places a hand on the statue as the symbol of a butterfly appears on his forehead, reaching out to the goddess that is the focus of this town. In some way he thinks he hit on it, only because he can literally feel the spiders on his back and shoulders and in his brain. There is even more to it, like something is coming closer and Setsuna grins while looking disturbed at the sensation at the same time. "Someone is in deep shit."

    The soldiers know, now, that there is a sneak amongst them. That someone is appearing from nowhere, slashing out to claim a life before disappearing to move on to another. It's a classic Spriggan strategy, sowing discord and chaos amongst the enemy as she cuts them down one by one.

    Indeed, after the first kills, it's almost unnecessary. All she needs to do is appear in a soldier's peripheral vision to send him dodging aside, disrupting their formation and making room for the civilians to escape.

    She's even got a song to commemorate the occasion.

        Just look at the coffin, with its golden handles
        Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead?

        Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
        And always remember, the longer you live
        The sooner you bloody well die.

"Wuh-what!?" Is all the response that Mikage gets from the flustered and surprised Pooka as she halts their blade and scoops up Rama. A magic spell is all that it takes, cutting through their defenses. Shattering a magic barrier on them with ease, and tearing their lives from them.

The other crew around them of course grip their blades harder. The warning is very valid. But these Landers are clearly creatures of emotion, because they just want to see Mikage pay for what she did to their ally!

Within town, Woden manages to pull himself out of the wall, calling the jacked up Pooka a monster. "A monster!? No, no, THAT is a monster!" The man points at the statue. "That is what these monster-worshippers pray to! No doubt another side of the Beast---AHHHH!" Their retort cut off by a sudden searing beam of light coming from above!

The man, INSPECTing as [Gihyeong-a], steps out of the hot white beam, his body glowing red in many a spots. Grimacing at Woden.

The man tries to bring up a magic shield, protecting his allies. But Fukaziroh shatters right through with her sashes, cutting through the soldier's body while cackling. It's certainly a look that survivors (if any) will not forget!

"I don't have time for your weak moral relativism. Statescraft is more complicated than that." The Pooka answers Prophylaxis, all the while, Prophylaxis' brambles skewer attackers and protect the people of town!

Followed by narrow bolts of flames finishing off various of those who avoid the bramble-screen set up by Prophyalxis! Flames spread from there. It's miraculous that none of them are setting the houses on fire as Merek blasts one of his enemies at closer range and shatters them into the ground! The burst glassing the ground itself!

Passing right past Merek, Kaydon rushes another soldier. Another downward strike, shattering them with only two strikes. It's clear that this force isn't one made up of the most elite of soldiers! After all, they were just checking in on a town!

Halting a Lander Populace and investigating rumors of Monster Worship is quite different of a group from Fighting Elite Yamato Adventurers.

Singing comes from the shadows. Eerie song that brings to it the stacato of murder and the shattering of lives. Miyako moving amidst the shadows to continue to halt lives.

Whilst all of that is going on, <Woden> and <Schneider> suddenly get this disgusting feeling running over their backs. This sensation like spiders are climbing over their backs. Their bodies. A similar feeling that Setsuna shares. Except it comes more abrupt to them.

They can see it. Right where Setsuna is sitting. Shadows that nobody else can see. The shadows of spiders skittering down from Setsuna's position. Clambering over the fountain, over the statue. Spreading further over it all, creating what looks like a pattern...

Until suddenly, everyone can see the result of this.

A black portal seems to open, and out comes a pale woman's body. Slowly clambering up along with two large black spiderous legs. Clambering further and further, until the Presence is here.

[Kumoko (Monster,I,Wings)]
[Kumoko (Monster,I)]
[Kumoko (Monster,I,Wings)]
[Kumoko (Monster,I)]
[Kumoko (Monster,I,Wings)]
[Kumoko (Monster,I)]

That Wing icon keeps flickering in and out of existance. The woman bearing what looks like a Scythe in her arms. Staring at the chaos going on with her human eyes, while the 'head' her lower body is attached to looks the other way. Getting a full view of the battle itself.

Observing at first. Silent. Utterly... silent.

But clearly freaking the Landers out enough, as they suddwenly turn to attack the monster and Setsuna - who looks like he just summoned this creature before himself!

There are times that Mikage really has to wonder about the tactical intelligence of the Lander forces in the Palace Lands. It's obvious, at least to her, that they are completely out matched and that they should protect their own lives by retreating. "That was me telling you to leave, but you're not going to do that, are you?" She asks, then shakes her head with a sigh.

"Fine, I guess we do things the hard way." She grips her sword, ready to continue the attack when she catches that motion of darkness out of the corner of her eye and turns to see the Spider Goddess made flesh and blood before them.

Rama seems to back up behidn Mikage at the sight. "Good thing Cyrus isn't here. He hates spiders." She murmurs this last part under her breath.

However, the distraction is enough that she doesn't quite get her attack off properly when she turns her attention back to those fighting at the outer edges of town. One might think she's pulling her blows, but... the fact is, she's a little distracted by the appearance of the strange spider-monster.

    Fukaziroh's mad cackle fades as she sees the result of Setsuna's call. A *freaking powerful* spider woman. And she discovers that the villagers weren't being fanciful with their depiction of their patron goddess. It is indeed a woman spider. A spider woman. "Is that a Wider?" she asks rhetorically. "Also is it just me or is she kind of cute?"

    Probably just Fuka, yeah.

    Nevertheless, Fuka frowns at the Palace Landers. "You lads and lasses should probably start running now." she scowls. Pretending like it's HER they should be fleeing. She swings her blade, releasing a built-up discharge of electricity into the nearest would-be attacker for emphasis.

    Setsuna looks at the appearence of Kumoko, and then at his hand and then at Kumoko and then at his hand before he looks at the soldiers. "HA! I told you. Now you've gone and done it!" So now that the party is really about to get started Setsuna is a little egotistical. He even pops his blink ability to hop off the statue and into a sword. He looks at the store and then at the soldier then at the sword, "OW!"

     Stepping back Setsuna slides off the sword and shakes his head. "Well I appear to have bled enough for this next thing I guess." Running his hand along the red pixels he then places the hand on the ground , "My blood calls forth that of the fallen." A blood red magic circle appears around him as from it does not come the sexy vampiress but instead a undead warrior levels beyond that of a normal skeleton, nearing somewhere in the death knight range. "Please escort their souls out of the town." With that Setsuna unleashes his summoned knight to go slaughter soldiers.

The warrior stares onward.

The pooka bulky-guy is standing in the beam of hot light that envelopes him completely, but he walks out of it with the world's worst sun burn. His eyes are narrowed and his sword held slightly tighter. The weapon glinting in the light.

Though he starts to advance, he can see it. /feel/ it. A disgusting feeling all over his back. Like spiders. Though his eyes. "Wait!" He starts to move towards Setsuna, when suddenly the Kumoko appears, a pale woman's body with spiderous filaments. A presence that is enough to inspire fear.

Others will help Setsuna.

His target is the Pooka. He suddenly moves, fast like lightning despite his armor, his blade held high as he tries to bury the weapon into the Pooka's shoulder with a mighty blow! "You're foe is me!" He commands the Pooka.

    Merek spins about when he notices the summoned portal, though he doesn't really give it all that much attention. Instead, he's then performing his Sword Arte with Ragnarok's Wisdom, so that he can swing his fists along into the people from Thor. "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" He then comes around with a kick to launch them clean through while he takes a stance with a shift and looks about the place.

Schneider is looking around at all the Thor kingdom dudes, grumbling, "C'mon, you idiots. You're ..." and he's cut off by a sudden feeling of wrongness. His Bad Stuff detector has just blinked red, started smoking, and has now burning merrily as he watches the spider person monster thing.

He snaps himself out of it after a moment, the Thor guys are still here, and if the villagers summoned this thing, maybe it's not all that it seems to be. Which is Hot and Cold Running Wrong. But he has enough presence of mind to point at one of the surviving Thor guys and cast, "Zako Damero!" A burst of raw arcane energy lances out and takes him square in the chest. He looks aroud worriedly, "Guys, I don't know how to tell you this. Does anyone else see a giant spider demon thing?"

"Statecraft IS quite complicated. But that's not what's happening here. As far as I can see, this is religious persecution. Rather than stamping out something like this, perhaps you should have considered determining why it was happening in the first place? Like, perhaps, defenders who have been too busy out pursuing conquest to handle domestic issues?" Prophylaxis arches his brow, but goes silent when that terrified hush ripples over the battlefield. His gaze goes toward Setsuna, standing at the statue of the spider goddess like some kind of heretical hierophant.

And then /she/ appears.

"Oh," he whispers, "My. Setsuna, well done."

The warriors of the Thor Kingdom go, predictably, absolutely apeshit at the sight of the bizarre monster-but-not. Wings... Why did she have flickering wings? No-- could she be an adventurer?

But... how was that possible?

They attack. The doctor's expression fixes into a frown as his hand extends towards the spider goddess. "PROPHYLAXIS_HAGALAZ_DRAGON_OPAL," he sings, more than says. A curtain of pale white energy surrounds the spider woman, hardening on impact as a full-throated barrage pounds into her... And does absolutely no harm.

No. Not this time.

"Honored to finally meet you... 'Kumoko,'" Prophylaxis says with a smile and a deferential nod-- moments before turning on the panicking soldiers of Thors. With a sweep of his staff, the temperature of the surrounding air abruptly plummets. A wave of frigid cold races towards the warriors in the distance, freezing dozens of archers and mages solid in an instant. "I believe we've met briefly in the past, have we not...?"

Then, to Schneider: "Yes, that is the Spider Goddess, the one these people worship. Don't worry, I'll explain later. Let's finish off these soldiers first."

        Look at the mourners, bloody great hypocrites
        Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead?

    Miyako pauses briefly to take in the appearance of Kumoko, and grins. Then turns to face the guards, still showing that fierce little grin. "Good morning, gents," she snarks, perching atop a fencepost. "You missed me, didn't you?" Of course they did. They certainly didn't *hit* her. "You're going to be good little boys and die now, right?"

        Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
        And always remember the longer you live,
        The sooner you bloody well die.

    And with that refrain on her lips, she leaps into the crowd of soldiers, twirling and slashing out, bringing the shadow of death to those who threatened the villagers.

Kaydon is moving back and forth between the soldiers, taking them down. They're clearly not expecting this level of resistance. So Kaydon starts looking for the leader. If whoever is in charge gets taken down, the other guys will scatter, no doubt.

He spots Woden doing battle with the Pooka in charge, and starts to head that direction, "Take down the leader, the others will scatter!" He calls out to Woden, as he turns to jam his hidden gauntlet blade into one of the soldiers that was attacking him from the side, "And somebody please tell me we don't have to fight that thing now too!"

Mikage has good reason to be distracted by the creepy appearance of the spider-like monstrocity. Perhaps even more-so since it appears to just be... observing. There's nothing more frightful than a Monster that appears to show any kind of sign of intelligence.

Missing her cuts, the enemies try to pass her up to rush into town to fight this great 'foe' before them. They are not brave as they run in there. They run in there because it is their duty. Commanded of them.

They fear. The Were Fangs unfortunate enough to have sensitive noses can smell their fear on them. In the most unpleasant way possible.

Fukaziroh's electricity ensures that the town's inner region remains lit up. Some of the festival stands are being trampled as soldiers rush towards the spider. She catches one with her discharge, frying them in the midst of yelling; "Kill the summoner!"

But this is no mere summoned beast. Arrows shatter across the barrier that Prophylaxis has erected, stopping them from getting to the spider. And whether or not Prophylaxis has noticed it - the Spider has noticed his act. Red eyes gleaming. Though it seems to either not know what he is talking about... or simply doesn't /understand/ him.

Setsuna blinks over, and the Spider begins to move. Releasing one hand from her scythe as she follows after Setsuna with an eerie slow gait. So slow, she goes almost unnoticed by those watching her, even though her movement quickly travels from one position to the next. As Setsuna bleeds from blinking into the soldier's blade, and the undead warrior retaliates, the Spider touches Setsuna's shoulder.

Her touch so light, Setsuna doesn't notice it. Another touch. Then, she grabs his head, trying to get his attention. Grabbing him by the head...

And twists Setsuna's head 180 degrees before the rest of his body has the ability to follow with the sudden motion. There's just a 'CRACK' followed by a very keen 'SNAP'.

Setsuna's HP immediately drops to 0.

In the meantime, Woden gets in the way of Gihyeong-a, stopping him from engaging with the Spider. The Pooka's shoulder stabbed into by the lighting fast movement and that blade, sending Gihyeong-a stumbling back!

Right past Merek, as the man kicks one of the Thor soldiers with so much force, they're sent into the air, where they detonate into a gulf of flame! It lights up Schneider's position, as he sends an arcane lance straight through another soldier, finishing them off!

"Monster Worship is punishable by death." The bulky Pooka answers Prophylaxis - though it is clear that they'd not intended to just go killing. That they'd intended to capture and question - but that things had just gone wrong in the worst of ways.

But there's no way back now.

Kaydon jumps in alongside of Woden, facing Gihyeong-a, who is starting to back away now. The gauntlet blade stabbing into a soldier who tries to come to his defense!

In the meantime, the Spider Goddess has dropped her scythe and seems to be looking flustered left and right at Setsuna, as his body begins to turn to light.

As the enemies move past her, Mikage turns to watch what plays out in front of her, making sure to keep Rama well behind her. Not that the lynx looks as if it will go anywhere near the creature.

Especially after what follows. The crunch is enough to have the girl wincing. "Oh fuck." Her first instinct is to believe that it is a lost cause, but... as soon as others seem to start slinging healing spells, she reacts quickly to join in.

It's not often that the Ranger uses these kind of spells, but she seems decently proficient, a glowing set of runes circling around her as she casts a very standard 'Ol Repth' healing spell.

Hey, it's not much, but she usually leaves the proper healing spells to Cyrus.

As Setsuna's neck is broken, Schnider gives Proph a level look. "So, you don't want me to worry, what about /him/?" But the bad guys have been put to route, so he will rush over and see if he can do anything for Setsuna. Not many people realize that Schneider's healing factor can be put to external use, and his regeneration is a bit creepy, souls and life force and all that, but Setsuna would probably appreciate that, if he were facing the same direction as his body and weren't dead and all.

The Spider is /NOT A FRIEND/.

Woden looks just in time to watch Setsuna's neck shattered with that blood-curling sound. His eyes raise towards the Spider monster, even as Gihyeong-a started to flee, he narrows his eyes with an electric blue glow to them as the paladin suddenly /vanished/ from view.

His blade comes down with a vengeance towards the Pooka leader, his blade striking with the fury of the darkness itself, multiple times, as if he were attempting to make a map of Gihyeong-a's back and fell the being. Though with Kaydon's help, that may be more than viable.

Maybe.

But his eyes are on the spider. "That spider is next." Goddess or no, Woden does not seem to care. He's named after the God of Wisdom. Perhaps a God (not really) can kill a Goddess? Or rather, more accurately, this team can fight this Goddess.

"Help them!" He gestures to Setsuna.

    Merek looks then to Setsuna when he sees the man take all that damage. He then takes a moment to lift up his palm, while he begins to bring about a healing sigil that covers the sky above the town. All the townsfolk still around and any of the Adventurers, even the Spider Goddess might take note, that it begins to heal people, drawing that to each of them. The only ones that are not being healed would be those that are Thor. "HEALING FORCE FIELD!"

There's a wet 'snap-pop' that Prophylaxis knows /far/ too well. The fact that a certain necromancer's health bar has abruptly dropped to zero is just icing on the terror cake. "Fuck," the doctor hisses, abandoning all pretense of continuing to engage in what is now very clearly a slauughter. Instead, he rushes over to Setsuna, a tendril launching out of his gauntlet to plunge a truly prodigious healing potion into his arm. His gaze glances briefly toward the Spider Goddess--

Who just seems... confused, and flustered, and absolutely unsure about what just happened.

Does she... not know her own strength?

"Do not treat her as a hostile," Prophylaxis says, his voice cold and calm, as if he were drowning his panic in glacial ice water (this, in fact, may be rather close to the truth). He needs to be calm to try and heal Setsuna above zero HP before the worst happens. "Everyone, as much healing as you can. I'm going to try to..."

Beat.

"Woden. As present coordinator of the Scale Emblem, stand down. Setsuna isn't dead yet, and she is clearly more confused than hostile. Calm down and capture any stragglers, especially if they're adventurers." More healing potions. Prophylaxis grunts as he glances at Setsuna's head and... looks to the Skeleton Knight, who may be acting as an impromptu nurse. "Carefully, turn it back the right way around. I'll set the bone. He'll be fine."

"I am The Doctor," he says as if reciting a mantra, "Life and Death are at my fingertips. Today, I turn away the Reaper."

Kaydon can't help Setsuna. Even with his relic it wouldn't help in this instance. No he has to keep his focus on the other threat to these people, and his friends, "You're done!" He yells at the Pooka, as he crosses the distance between himself and the soldier. Weaving in and out in the fight alongside Woden, Kaydon's gunblade strikes at the Pooka multiple times, each sending an explosion of fire magic rocking up the length of the blade.

After a third hit, Kaydon wheels around and grips the blade's hilt with both hands, bringing the weapon down with all the force he an muster as he sets off the last charge in the revolver mechanism. He turns around after the blow is landed, and grabs for Woden's shoulder, to try to keep the Sylph from getting in over his head, "If Proph is saying to hold on, we'll hold on. Trust me, unless you can heal our best bet is to stay out of the way right now."

    Fukaziroh is instantly confused and horrified by what happened, momentarily paralyzed in ironic shock, allowing Palace Lander soldiers to go free from what would surely be their just rewards. It's not until she hears the Prof's cold and calm explanation that she snaps into focus. Truth to tell she'd rather heal than murder people anyways, but his rationality helps her to focus on what's important instead of freaking out over what he claims is simply a mistake. Perhaps the spider goddess literally has no grasp of her own strength, and this was all an accident. Possibly. Maybe. Not worth thinking about just this moment, so long as she doesn't start killing them all.

    Instead Fuka calls upon sylvan powers of healing and light. Well, technically not sylvan, save that she's a sylph. She just breaks into the most powerful targeted heal she knows, chanting a stream of light mana into the necromancer.

    "Saaaay... does light hurt him? Like, does anyone know if he got bit by a vampire at some point? Not that I'm judging, kinky stuff is just fine with me, I just don't want to kill someone by accident you know?" Fuka rambles, asking no one in particular.

    Setsuna is watching the knight go to town on the soldiers, the grin he has showing he is enjoying it a bit. He doesn't see the spider bit him until, well he is looking right at her before his hp hits 0.

     It appears his summoning contract helps him out a little bit, as the summoned knight comes and fixes the neck but really it just flops over in weird angles. Between the undead knight and the spider goddess Setsuna's neck is a 100 piece puzzle. With enough healing though and timely emergency magic Setsuna's HP does begin to pick back up and there is even some breath of life in him. The neck reconstruction may take a little longer as will Fukaziroh's question about the status of him living or not.

The Spider Goddess keeps kind of... doing a jiggy? Motioning her hands left and right, looking to the Adventurers, stepping back from Setsuna's body. And watching with confusion as healing spell after healing spell lands on a body that clearly reached 0 HP...

And the health starts to go back up. There's confusion in all of her eyes, human and monsterous-spider-eyes all the same. Well... the latter are not really readable in that kind of way. But just pretend they look super confused somehow.

Heal after heal drops on Setsuna, while the boy is lost at sea. His mind failing to register the world around him for a moment, right before his health rises back up!

In the meantime, Woden and Kaydon are taking care of the last Thor soldier on the battlefield. Lightningfast, blades sink into them in the midst of the man trying to run away. Carving red lines through his body until he looks like he ran through chicken-wire... and then finally shastters as the two lay the final blows to him and cut off his head - Kaydon's building flames spreading the light like ashes to the wind!

The Spider Goddess seems to calm down a bit, the moment Setsuna is up again. And she seems to be motioning her lips. Everyone just hears chitters and creepy noises for a moment. But when Woden claims that the spider is next, she quickly takes her Scythe in both hands and narrows her gaze. Prepared for battle.

    Miyako grins to herself as the soldiers flee back into the town, turning their backs on her to face the bigger - well, at least the *larger* - monster. That may well have been a mistake on their part. And she intends to test that theory.

    "This is where you fall down," she whispers, popping up from the shadow of a soldier in the rear ranks, and bestowing a simple enough slash across his spine before moving on to another.

    She's barely even noticed Setsuna's predicament - yes, his HP is low, but his entry in the party list hasn't gone dark or anything to show he was actually -dead-. So he's not dead. And he's getting healing. Good.

    Which makes right about -now- the time for her to actually pause in her little rampage to look up and notice the spider girl. "Well, hello there. Aren't you a big 'un?" She grins, flourishes her fans, and - noticing that no one seems to be actually attacking Kumoko - tucks the weapons away. "What have we here?"

    And of course someone feels the need to actually start a fight with the Red-con boss-type who might or might not be a player.

    "... moron."

There is a look of confusion that passes over Mikage's face for a moment. It's a sort of blank look that some of those who are members of the New World Alliance might be familiar with. The distant look of someone seeing or listening to something beyond the naked eye.

Raising a hand to the side of her head, her muscles tense, showing a bit of effort across her features. "Hold up. Don't attack." Miki calls out. Not only because she doesn't want to see other allies be felled at the moment by something clearly more powerful than they are. "It... She didn't seem to mean to hurt Setsuna."

There is clearly some focus required to maintain some semblance of understanding. "She doesn't like that they are worshipping her or that they made the statue. That it's creepy."

She looks over towards Setsuna, then back towards the spider creature again. Closing her eyes, the Were Fang murmurs something under her breath, something that seems to cause a subtle shift in the Laws of Alba. Oracle abilities never seemed to cause as much of a disruption as some others, it seems.

"We can understand you but it's hard. Only some of us have the ability to listen and to project. Please. Don't harm anyone else." She states this out loud at the same time as projecting it. The earrings she wears seem to react to this, glowing faintly.

*SLASH!*

Woden and Kaydon easily manage out the rest of the soldiers, down to the last. Though Woden holds his weapon ready as he turns towards the Spider who just - confusedly or no - nearly killed Setsuna, Woden's eyes narrow at his opponent, but he's told to stand down by Prophylaxis. Though Woden is more than a little skeptical, orders are orders. A slow exhale is given as he sheathes his blade.

"Very well."

He turns on his heel. "Skeptic." He replies to Miyako, somewhat coldly.

    Setsuna looks up at the spider and , well that is a mistake. Any attempt to follow up is given up instead as the pain of moving a recently shattered neck is enough to send his vision spinning and for him to slump back to the ground. It is enough though that he groans in some pain before pointing at Mikage as she speaks some truth...which it is odd that she speaks the truth. Another butterfly user has appeared it seems.

After the last of the soldiers goes down, Kaydon takes a moment or two, his heavy breaths catching on the cold air, before he finally puts his gunblade onto his back, and pulls his cloak back out. It's still freezing out here. He opts to remain in his gnoll form for now, fur makes things warmer, as he moves towards where Setsuna and the spider situation is going on.

He's seen enough weird shit that he doesn't understand to trust the Doc, and he also knows a fight he can't win with what they currently have available to them.

Schneider is giving the spider thing the intense perusal as he wracks his brain for the old lore about monsters. "Well, whatever it is, it's partly based on a Taratect. That's the spider-centaur thing. But what the icons meant, I have no idea. Never seen a player flag on a monster, and the icons, the I and wings, make it a person, a player, somehow. But I don't know how. And I left my berlitz Monster book at home."

    "Maybe it's a player turned into a monster?" Merek will add to the conversation, with a shrug. He does not really know himself, though he watches the people, and nods to the spider while he holds up both unarmed hands, "Alright. We don't come to fight. We are here to protect the people of the town."

"Thank you," Prophylaxis nods his head at Wodan. Having alliance members who listen to reason is quite nice! But also: Setsuna is not dying. With a sigh, the doctor administers a few more healing potions. Not only just in case, but ideally to get him back on his feet-- and negotiating-- again.

After all, having just one person around who can speak with the mysterious spider goddess is a little risky.

"We come in peace," the doctor says, hoping that Mikage will translate. "...And wish to make peaceful contact. We are enemies of The Beast. I believe that you have met Setsuna and I before, once, through your children."

Of course, she can't understand him. He can't understand /her./ That's the problem with that damn Monster mark.

But the other ones-- And Kumoko's behavior-- suggests that communication is very well within the realm of possibility. So instead, the Doctor lets his body language speak. He bows graciously, and tries to express his peaceful intent through tone of voice and expression alone. But there is a question he knows he cannot ask through pantomime.

"...Do you also come from another world?"

    As her heal-over-time takes hold, Fukaziroh raises her head to peer at the spider 'goddess', taking in what others are saying. She withholds judgment. Cooler heads than hers will need to analyze what's going on. "I think I've seen marks like that before... without the Adventurer symbol at least. Aren't Divine Beasts marked with those symbols? No wait, monster, not beast. Huh. Setsu? You dead there yet good buddy?" she asks, mid-blather.

    "... or a monster learning to not be a monster," Miyako muses as she hears Merek's comment. She files away Schneider's comment on its phylogeny along with so much other semi-useful trivia she's accumulated over her years in the game. "Has anyone -ever- seen a monster with the 'I' icon before?" She blinks as something comes to mind. "What about those idiots from the Waves, maybe... didn't they have some odd icons?"

    She sighs softly. "I wish Ko-chan was here. She'd remind me."

The spider suddenly puts its human hands on its human cheeks, dropping the Scythe in surprise. The front spider legs then also raise and touch the sides of its mandlibled spider cheeks!

It then begins to pantamime.

It chitters rapidly, and loudly, flailing its various arms around, stepping left and right, approaching Mikage and kind of maneuvering around her while making various other motions! Sometimes she looks to the side, as if chittering at an unseen presence. It gets right into Mikage's face.

It looks roughly like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIUFEQeh3g (Content Warning: Spiders)

Then, it halts at a particular question. Whether or not she comes from another world.

It's nice to listen.

Woden was no fool. He possessed knowledge and wisdom. He was a loyal friend, though he disapproved immediately that Setsuna was attacked, he knows when it was time to draw his sword...and when to sheathe it. Yet, the Spider Goddess Kumoko is starting to flail her arms in panic, causing the Paladin to immediately move like a blur.

He's suddenly in front of Prophylaxis, his shield raid though his blade is still in it's sheathe, taking the impact for him in his stead. "Perhaps...we should gain our distance..." He mentions to Prophylaxis. "We come in peace." He tells Kumoko. "Please, do not panic. No harm was done."

He's gonna get accidentally smacked, isn't he?

Amidst the constant moving to the side an back and forth, Kumoko kind of just 'steps over' Prophylaxis with all those sharp legs of hers. If it was not for Woden and Kaydon playing protection and getting him out of the way and Kaydon then protecting the combined group that is Woden and Prophylaxis, they'd probably just been stabbed without the spider even realizing.

Kaydon had already been worried something might happen. He's hardly one to judge someone by their looks, just look at HIM, back in Yamato his form is feared by Landers because of the rampaging demon gnolls. But he's still prepared to jump back into action the moment something goes down.

It doesn't go down the way he expects, but it does. The spider, suddenly lunges forward, but not in an attack. Kaydon focuses on the crystal as the spider moves forward, "KAYDON_HAGALAZ_ENDLESS_DEEP!"

Prophylaxis and Wodan would find themselves inside of a bubble of light, which holds for the time it takes for the spider to move past them and they're clear of any knife-like leg encounters, "Better keep your distance, I don't think she realizes how pointy she is."

Prophylaxis is nearly spider-trampled! This is almost terrible, but fortunately he's pulled out of the way just in time by his <s>minions</s> good friends. "Right," the doctor says with a nod from within his handy bubble of light. "Thanks, Kaydon. Wodan. Appreciate it."

Damn, if only he had any sort of artistic skill at all. They might not be able to talk with words, but surely /drawing pictures/ would work!?

    Setsuna watches the spider goddes...Kumoko, walk away and Setsuna shakes his head. "Best option is to probably let her go. " Setsuna moves to lean against the statue base as he watches the spider goddess. " I wouldn't want to be in the way of her if she can summon herself like that." Setsuna gives a whistle as his cerberus walks over and he pets the right head. " sides we can make a phone call later, say thank you and all that. 20 words a day for long distance call so keep your message brief."

There is a wince that follows as Mikage seems to be bombarded with some sort of sensory input that the others do not seem to hear. Even Rama looks concerned, giving a low whine.

As the spider creature gets closer to her, Miki all but freezes in place. She is very much the sort who tries to avoid that whole, dying thing, and she really doesn't want to end up like Setsuna. "Uh..." Uncomfortable.

A bead of sweat drips along her forehead and onto her cheek before she starts to try to relay some measure of what is assaulting her mind. "There are... multiple voices. She wants us to destroy the statue. Says that it is how you draw 'The Hound'." After a pause, she adds, "I guess that's another name for 'The Beast'."

She squints, rubbing at the side of her head. It's obvious that this is causing some mental anguish. "She... never felt like she belonged. She doesn't seem to know the answer, Doc."

Feeling the power slipping and her head beginning to pound, Miki tries to throw a couple last things back. The idea that there are more who can communicate, and that the power takes a toll.

After that, Miki drops to her knees and holds her head in her hands. "That's it. I can't. Fuuuck." She swears and leans her head into Rama. Clearly, communicating with the monster is quite difficult. "She only understands those with the weird distance sight and communication powers. But... damnit that hurts like hell." She mutters.

    Unfortunately, Miyako does not speak Spider. And the auto-translate doesn't seem to be working on it either. So it's a good thing -someone- can figure out what 'Kumoko' is trying to say. Still... she's curious as heck.

    Wait, no, 'curious as heck' is her normal state of being. Along with 'making music' and 'murdering monsters'.

    "Wait, what's the 'beast'? Did I miss something in the mission briefing?"

The Spider continues to chitter and sway its arms at Mikage for a little while longer. Excitedly motioning and continueing to attempt to talk. But as Mikage drops to her knees and holds her head in her hands, the creature tilts both of its head to the side in confusion for a moment.

Then, one hand flat, the other a fist, patting the flat hand. As if she understood something.

She reaches out, almost as if she is about to pat Mikage's head with one of its spider legs, then draws it back, realizing that may be a bad idea. She then turns her head back and chitters as she begins to back up.

Almost like she were miming the sound a truck makes when backing up. But that might just be peoples' imagination...

Before she finally just spider-walks off out of town.

She wants them to destroy the statue? /That's/ how the attention of the Beast is drawn? Prophylaxis' brow furrows for a moment, then he realizes: Heresy? Is the key /heresy?/ By making a Monster into something of a god, redirecting prayer that should normally go to the Goddesses toward something that is Not-- if the Monster herself cannot receive the prayer, then something else might... Or perhaps, the act of worship is itself what corrupts some Monsters with the Beast?

The Doctor nods. "Well done, Mikage. Thank you. Everyone, you heard our Spider Friend," he gestures at the statue, "Smash it. I'll speak to the villagers. She is not hostile, but she cannot be their goddess. Their friend, perhaps. But not their goddess."

The bright light that starts to surround himself and the Doctor is met with a deep breath. Though as he rises to his full height, shield lowered, he turned his eyes to Kaydon, nodding only once at his fellow adventurer before his eyes are back on the Spider.

"You'd do the same." For them. Would he really? Either way, Woden appreciated Prophylaxis's attempts at diplomacy with the creature. "The Beast...it's a large hound, if memory serves. Quite the terror and beast." as per the name. Though despite being a bit of a captain obvious.

He turns his eyes towards the statue when he hears the order. His hand clenches and he reaches down to touch the ground, as if to try and shatter the statue with the earth itself, spikes potruding from the ground to get after it.

"The Beast," Prophylaxis explains, sighing as a gentle cool settles over his features. A small flurry of snow might even flutter around him as he speaks. "The Beast is the thing that the monsters in Yamato worship. The thing that tells them to erect altars of bone and teeth. The ones that strip Adventurers of their System Protection."

"It's also known as the Hound, or Cu Chulainn," he says, gesturing vaguely toward the East. "It dwells in the Crest Gun, within the Ezzo Empire. Apparently, it has begun to extend its influence here-- after something called the 'Quarantine' which had been containing Yamato was broken. The last time we spoke to-- well, not her, I guess. Another spider. She told us that she was fighting the Hound. And that we, the Yamatoans, were responsible for allowing its influence to spread."

"But please excuse me," he inclines his head, "I must inform the villagers about the statue-- and warn them against worship." But also that they can consider the 'Healing Spider' to still be a friendly force. Just, not a divine one. Please do not worship the spider mom.

Kaydon can take down a statue, that much he's sure of, "Alright folks, you heard the, uh, large spider lady. Lets get to it!"

Woden seems to be ahead of him though, as he is already weaving earth spell artes into the statue, "Hope that getting rid of the statue will also keep the godsdamned guards out of town." If not, well, at least the guys who did get away telling others that there were adventurers not under control there, well that might actually be worse. Kaydon is pretty sure the guy he let go was intimidated to the point he'll never tell a soul.

    Well, at least there's something resembling a plan, now. Miyako just nods and sets to, helping pick up the mess the soldiers made and checking to see if any of the villagers need medical attention. The wounded among them she offers healing potions, since she has no other medical skills beyond the most basic.

    It's better than nothing, to be sure.

Destroyed.

Woden stands up, taking off his helmet and tucking it under his arm. Grey-white hair descends from his head and to his shoulders, blue eyes staring ever forward. "Let us hope that is the end of it from these soldiers of the Thor Kingdom. No more harassment." He turns to Prophylaxis. "Good luck."

He then takes up more of a sentry position, watching the comings and goings and ensuring the party remains safe from any further dangers. But that /name/ hangs in his mind: 'Chu Chulainn.'

Schneider will, at least, help the villagers destroy the effigy. Don't they know graven images are forbidden? Or is that someone else's commandment? It all runs together. But he can certainly help make the statue go away. That's his specialty. The trick will be not burning down the rest of the Town. He will have to take care and exercise caution.