Smarter than the Average Spider

A while ago...Otto is robbed

Northreach Road


 * One of the newest highways in Fastheld, the aptly named Northreach Road runs a direct north-south path between the Seamel Township of Northreach in the north, and the Mikin city of Wedgecrest in the south.


 * The route itself is practically flawless, with the Imperial Engineers that constructed it having used tricks learned from Mikin Road - that is, to build through anything that stood in their way, or change the landscape to meet the lay of the road.


 * To that end, the road has a habit of cutting neatly through the middle of a copse of trees of hedges on it's perfectly direct path, which makes it an absolute dream to travel, as well as somewhat interesting as well.


 * The road itself is paved with smooth stone cobbles of the finest cut and design, with ditches running on either side for surface water to drain through

the channels and be collected by. Raised slightly above the height of the surrounding landscape, the water is encouraged to drain in this manner, though the elevated height also makes it slightly more difficult for bandits to lay in wait as a result.
 * The northern stretch of road extends beneath the shadow of the Northern Aegis wall, and within the sight of the wonderous North Gate that bridges the gap in the Aegis and the Wildlands beyond. The stone palisade wall that surrounds the township of Northreach is evident in the north, as is the southern gate of the township that the road ends at.

Ol' Otto, wearing one boot, is coming up the road from the south.

Atop Whitehaven, Together, two horsemen, and one horsewoman burst out of the gates of Northreach, intent on chasing some currently unseen quarry, but their hearts are quite into it. One Seamel stares at the sky more than the road before him as he goes, trusting his horse to not stumble. "Where is that blasted thing? What happened?"

Atop Rampart, One would think that chasing ghosts would involve things like... well, armor? But the Mikin sits astride her tall highmount. Not too unlike the Seamel, and trying to get sight of their prey to the evening skies. "I don't know," Celeste calls to Gefrey and continues to her horse southward.

A metallic scream can be heard far above, and then another, then a third.

Atop Windstalker, Rayk Nillu follows close behind, trying to keep sight on both his two noble companions and their close-pursuing crossbowman and swordsman.

Ol' Otto curls himself up in the ditch off to the side of the road.

Atop Whitehaven, The crossbow man keeps his weapon at the ready as he rides behind Gefrey, keeping an eye skyward. He rides just past Otto before pulling to a stop, staring silently skyward.

Several metallic screams can be heard in quick succession, as if circling over the spot.

Atop Rampart, Celeste gives a tug on the reigns and scans the skies. 'It sounds like their right above us," she notes the obvious to her companions. A nervous catch to her lower lip and trying to find sight of at least one of the beasts in question. Looking back to Gefrey, "they may want to dismount if they're to draw a line."

Atop Windstalker, Rayk Nillu wheels his mount around as the other four come to a stop, his own eyes drifting skyward for a few seconds. Grunting, he swings out of the saddle and lands roughly on the road before movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. "Ho there!" He calls to the ditch, unstraping his sword and shield from his saddlebags, "Are you alright?"

"Till you went and started talking to me, your lordship," is the surly reply from the ditch.

Gefrey Seamel steps down from his own horse, the crossbow militia man moving to stand next to him, and training a bolt at... well, nothing right now, just the sky in general. The Seamel draws his own sword as he takes a step toward Rayk, looking out of the corner of his eye to the ditch. "Who's down there now?"

Atop Rampart, Celeste remains to the mount, reaching down to claim a mace. Though she winces at the sound of a voice. "Rayk... who is that," she calls over to the Nillu. Though her know her might even hear a soft hesitant catch.

"I apologize, good sir, I really do, but you may be in danger out here." Rayk calls out as hefts Wildfang in his right hand and the large shield in his left, approaching the ditch carefully, "Come up and we'll escort into town safely." Nodding to his fellow guard to cover the other side, the Nillu swivels his head to reply to Celeste, "I don't know."

"Then stop drawing notice, your lordship," says the man who is currently face down in the ditch. "Will just crawl on back to the township by your leave."

Gefrey Seamel grimaces as he looks over and listens. "Stonefish? Like as not, they're after him. Keep an eye on what's coming down."

Atop Rampart, Celeste finally dismounts and walks towards the ditch. A quick glance skyward before looking down to the face-planted man. His voice enough to finally cinch it for the Mikin. "Let me see what they're after, Master Stonefish."

Rayk Nillu takes a step to the side to make way for the Mikin, pointing to the swordsman, "Guard her, Sergeant." Shifting his attention to the darkening sky, he calls to the others, "We better hurry, its getting awfully dark."

"Rape!" screams Otto as he scrambles up onto his feet and starts towards the gates. He's wearing his one boot on the wrong foot, but he's taken the time to lace it up. His other leg seems to be half lame. He stays hunched over as he remains in the ditch. He's got an eye that's swollen shut. There's always been a milky cast to his other eye. Just how much he can see is a fairly good question.

Another metallic scream above, but this time much quieter. Either the screamer is much higher up than last time, or is toning it down.

Gefrey Seamel growls. "Show her the damned thing, Stonefish," he says. "It is not the time for this." Slowly, he starts backing for the gates as well.

Celeste growls and takes off after the freelander. "Dammit, Stonefish halt right now." The lack of armor adding some to her speed to catch the hobbling man.

As he trundles along, Otto reaches into his pouch for a knife which he uses to cut the straps of his pack. He chunks that towards the far side of the road and the other ditch. He shows no signs of stopping.

Rayk Nillu seems intent on the flying threat overhead until people start cursing someone named Stonefish. Taking a few defensive steps back, he turns to watch Celeste run after the man from the ditch for a few seconds before turning back to the night sky.

Gefrey Seamel watches all the things get tossed and dropped, before stepping over to the tossed backpack, and scrabbling down to open and look into it.

"Dammit, I said stop," she snarls. Her steps coming to a faltering halt as he cuts bait and runs. As Gefrey leans down to the bag, she uses the moment to catch her breath. "He's.." pant. "The." pant. "Ingress."

Otto still shows no real indications of doing anything but getting the light out of the area. For someone with a bum leg, he's moving pretty well. Probably the state of pure panic or whatever he's entered into.

Rayk Nillu half-steps in disbelief, confusion creasing his brow as he looks back to Celeste, "Wait, /he's/ the Ingress? It's some /one/, not some /thing/?" He asks, incredously, shaking his head. Lowering his weapon a bit, he retreats closer to the group, "So that relic we bought was a fake."

Gefrey Seamel goes wide-eyed as he looks over to Celeste, then turns and charges Otto, face set darkly. "Stonefish! Stay with us. We'll see you through safely. But you have to /listen/."

Celeste blinks, confusion settling in. The bag in question now moving. "Dammit, stop moving," seems to the catch phrase of the evening. She tries to catch up to Gefrey. "He /has/ the Ingress," she pants out.

No confusion on Otto's part. Well, none but that which he's causing. He continues to huff and puff his way towards the believed security of the gates.

Rayk Nillu grumbles to himself, "Well, that's just great." upon hearing more wonderful news, his eyes returning skyward, hoping the danger has passed yet.

Gefrey Seamel just keeps running after the old man, shaking his head. "We'll get him inside the town," he calls over to the others. "Hopefully he'll stand /still/ in there."

Celeste falters to a halt, realizing that the nobleman has dropped the bag and hurries back. The freelander forgotten in her new quest.

"Leave Ol' Otto 'lone! It's in the pack!" yells Otto as he enters the town. "Ol' Otto washes his hands of it!" He's got pretty good wind for a self proclaimed fat man with a limp and belly to be yelling all of that. "Talk to the count!"

Rayk Nillu falls back to cover Celeste while she rumages from the poor man's pack, eyeing her curiously, "Please tell me you're looking for something useful in there, Celeste, and not just stealing from some freelander." He quips quietly.

Gefrey Seamel slows down, watching the freelander run, before turning back and walking over to Celeste and Rayk. "It's more important than just stealing from a freelander," he says. "Though shades if I know /what/ it is."

Celeste flashes a frown towards Rayk and pulls out a crystal skull to inspect it. "Well, everything looks about normal, except for this. I've no intention of stealing from anyone, only to find this ingress for the Refuge."

Rayk Nillu kneels down to examine the rather unique object in Celeste's hands, "I don't mean like that, my lady." After seeing the skull of crystal, Rayk's lips quirk, "That is certainly not what I expected you to find." Standing up, he glances skyward, "While I enjoy a spirited debate as much as anyone, may I suggest we re-convene this little party back inside the safety of Northreach?"

A few days later...Otto tattles...

'''Northreach Tradehouse 


 * A hub of trade and exchaned coins and goods, the Northreach Tradehouse is a unique establishment in that it acts as three mercantiles in one, catering to a number of profressions and needs all under one roof.


 * The front door of the Tradehouse has been created of lacquered shardwood, tall and looming in its proportions and complete with esoteric gilded bronze symbol. The door itself is framed in wood built into a sturdy granite wall; the walls covered with shelves and cabinetry.


 * The floor is made of finely cut redwood planks, each nearly half a foot wide. Large redwood beams arc beneath the ceiling together providing support for the thatched padding between the beams and the tiled roof. Every few feet, a thick iron chain wrapped about a low-set beam bears lantern, all of which are lit for twilight service, such as after dusk, or when the weather is somewhat drab.


 * To the left of the large, arching doorway, stained river oak supports the staircase that leads directly up to the floor above. A large wooden sign has

been mounted upon the beam just above the foot of the stairs, proclaiming the second floor to currently be home to an Art Studio and Carpentry Mercantile.

Thayndor Zahir has just bought a small parchment, and has moved to the far side of the merchant's counter, where he leans, writing on the parchment.

Otto's down to one boot and no backpack, fishing pole, or shield. He's got his hood up, and he spends a bit of time lurking outside the building looking through the entrance before actually coming inside.

Thayndor Zahir continues writing, oblivious.

"Your lordship," hisses Otto at the oblivious one.

Thayndor Zahir straightens, turns at the sound of his name. He frowns when his eyes find Otto. "Stonefish. Yes. What is it?"

"Call off them nobles," says Otto as he takes a nervous look over his shoulder.

Thayndor Zahir blinks. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Ol' Otto were coming up Northreach Road when three nobles come riding down on him. Ol' Otto ain't no slouch. Tosses hisself into the ditch. One them sees him. Starts to talking. Then, the glowing Mikin comes at Otto again. She already chased him out the Wailing Wench once. Ol' Otto ain't no fool, your lordship, but he cannot do nothing with no pack of nobles dogging him like a pike on a guppy," says Otto as he casts another look over his shoulder. This puts his face in the light. It's more battered and bruised than normal. His boot, for the record, is on the wrong foot.

Thayndor Zahir's brow falls further. "Why are you all beat up, Otto?" He counters.

"Diving out the window to get away from the crazy glowing Mikin woman," says Otto.

If Thayndor finds it funny, he makes no sign. "Why is she after you? Your artefact?"

"Yes," answers Otto simply enough. "Tossed them my pack and things when they came after me. They got a crystal skull out of the deal. Otto got a cramp in his side from the running."

"They -took- your -things-?" Thayndor demands. "Did they threaten you with force?" Now he's getting irritated.

"Ol' Otto did not stick around to banter and exchange no pleasantries. Just tell them that skull is all Ol' Otto had if you would, your lordship, and you might take kindly to them leaving your poor fisherman in peace so he stops crowding you in your letter writing time," says the cloaked figure who for once doesn't smell like fish or drip on anything.

"You saw them coming, and ran?" Thayndor asks. "Or did they speak to you? I ask, Stonefish, because the more you tell me, the better I am able to turn this to my advantage."

"Ol' Otto's ma ain't raise no fools, your lordship. Ol' Otto did a face first ditch dive soon as he saw them with the crazy glowing Mikin, your lordship," says Otto with a shrug. "Fact as there was a gargoyle screaming going on above us lent me more than enough reason to be diving into ditches. 'Sept one of them as seen Ol' Otto hisself doing his dive. Noble spirit must have got the best of them lot, and the one who saw Ol' Otto hisself go butt up in the ditch decided as Ol' Otto hisself might be needing some help from a bunch of galavanting - begging your pardon, your lordship - nobles as was looking like a platter of cod for whatever it were screaming up above."

"Knowing what we know now," Thayndor replies to Otto quietly, "You likely -did-. But did they speak to you or make demands of you in any way? Why did you throw them your things?"

"Ol' Otto did not need no help. Just to be let past. Anyway, never seen a drunk in a ditch 'cause they got all interested in Ol' Otto 'stead of the screaming gargoyle. Well, the Mikin countess or whatever it is she is 'sides that it is time for her to be seeing whatever it is they was after. Ol' Otto got better things to do with his life than end it flashing about some bit of relic while there is a gargoyle screaming over head what as might be looking for it. 'Sides, Ol' Otto lost it in a swamp. So, there Ol' Otto was. Squared off against three mounted nobles with a bum leg and swole shut eye. Only thing as Ol' Otto could have done was as what he done. Screamed 'rape' at top of his lungs and took off like a broked masted barge going up stream with no paddles. Had to toss Ol' Otto's gear to keep that lot from catching himself what with the Mikin telling Ol' Otto to stop running and all," explains Otto at great length.

"And she's gone after you again since?" Thayndor asks.

"Before. In the inn. Said she wanted to help Ol' Otto with his bruises but she just hurt him more when she touched him. Ol' Otto took a dive out a window to get clear," says Otto.

"She didn't mention the thing then, however?" The Zahir presses.

Shrugging, Otto says, "Ol' Otto did not stick 'round to do no sort of long, drawn out interview to spider out all her motives and thoughts on the matter, your lordship. She said she wanted to talk. Not sure iffin she wanted to just try to fix Ol' Otto up or weasel from him the thing as Ol' Otto do not have."

"I do not appreciate other Nobles mucking about with my retainers," Thayndor replies. "And I want your property back." he finishes his letter, folding it carefully. "I will deal with this. You ..." he looks down at Otto's feet and back, straight-faced. "Boots or no boots, Stonefish," he says lightly. "Make up your mind." And moves to leave.

"Boot got caught when as Ol' Otto were doing his through the window bit," says Otto with a look down at the one remaining piece of footwear.

"Then find it," Thayndor suggests, not stopping along his way.

"Aye, aye, sure 'nuff," answers Otto without much vigor.

Thayndor Zahir pauses at the door and turns, sighing. "I've told you, if you fight better barefoot, then you needn't keep the things on my account," Thayndor says to Otto. "Good evening." He turns to leave again.

Wiggling the toes of his unbooted foot a moment, Otto stoops to remove the boot, tossing it aside.

And...most recently...

Shoreline


 * A rocky strand of soil along the river's murky green edge. The shore

bows inward slightly, while the ground slopes upward on its way from the waterline. Bushy green shrubs form the verge atop the ridge of the shoreline. To the west, rising on a bluff overlooking the junction of the Fastheld and Lightholder rivers, is the gray stone estate known as Darkwater Keep.


 * It is a terribly cold and frigid afternoon. The slightest breeze stirs over

the land infrequently.

The sound of skittering can be heard from the low bushes along the shoreline.

"Huh," says Otto as he exchanges looks with the other man. "Let's..uh..." He starts running west.

The sound of skittering gets louder, as the bushes seem to move from whatever's beneath them, like a line of shifting leaves.

"Belay that order, matey!" decides Otto as he seems to reach the conclusion that he's surrounded. He backs up to the river. The other man does likewise. Some faceless Deeper who is not the Finn of Deeper page lore. Otto shifts his previously slack grip on his axe and shield.

One foot-tall spider emerges from the northern bushes, and three more emerge from the southern bushes, simply staring at the man and his companion for a moment. "Give us what we want, and you will be justly compensated," one from the south warbles in an almost otherworldly tone.

"Well, now, aye, aye, sure 'nuff," says Otto as he gives the talking spider the strange look such a creature deserves. Putting his axe away, he asks, "What's that mean, anyways?"

"What is it that you desire?" the arachnid warbles, tilting its glowing blue eyes up to stare at Otto.

Otto Stonefish knows better than to meet the glowing blue eyes of any spiders. He kind of shifts his gaze around at the trio of silent spiders before not quite looking at the talking one again. "Boat'd be nice. Maybe, you know, a duchy, aye, aye, sure 'nuff. That'd be right swell. Be coasting on smooth currents in sunny weather with Ol' Otto's very own duchy." The other guy decides the time has come to cut his losses. He starts to run. Otto doesn't look his way.

The acarits don't deign to follow the fleeing guard. "How about an axe so valuable, you can buy those things? I am sure you have buyers of antiquities here. It is over nine hundred years old, and of the finest quality," it chirps, sounding briefly like a human's tenor before becoming otherworldly again.

Otto Stonefish takes out his 'spare' axe and looks to the spiders over the plain iron blade, canting his head to the left and right before he nods. He clears his throat and says, "Ol' Otto's ma ain't even that ol', aye, aye, sure 'nuff. Ol' Otto don't even know how to be figuring that many years all stacked on each other. Only knows that that many years, it must be mighty fine or crumpled to dust, aye, aye, sure 'nuff." The other fellow heads off under full steam to the west and the somewhat distant Deeper Hold there.

Two more of the acarits emerge from the bushes, one on each end of a heavy-looking battleaxe made of a gleaming white metal with a blackened wood haft that seems untouched by age. The upper edge of the battleaxe features several curving-like projections that are dotted in black jewels, seemingly to approximate some sort of black flame. "It can be yours for the price of that one useless hand. The jewels themselves could probably buy you a nice house and a boat," the voice offers.

Otto Stonefish purses his lips as his eyeballs gravitate towards the most expensive looking thing on the river bank (not counting the talking spiders). He licks his chops before wiping his forehead with the back of his gauntleted hand, bringing his bearded axe up to shoulder height. He shakes his head as he lowers his hand again, "A house and a boat, aye, aye, sure 'nuff. Ol' Otto, though, is a canny one, aye, aye. He would have hisself a house boat!"

"Whatever you want," the voice assures slitheringly, the vocal acarit taking a step forward, then another, its lithe frame skittering somewhat awkwardly through the sand. "All we need is that one hand."

"Well," says Otto as he steps back into the shallow water on the shoreline. "All right. You just drop that axe there on the beach, and Ol' Otto will toss you up the hand, aye?"

While the acarits do put down the axe, the non-axe-holding ones begin to approach slowly, apparently not quite trusting the Sailor's words.

Probably with pretty good reason, but Otto sets his roundshield under the crook of his axe holding arm and shrugs out of his backpack. He rocks it back and forth once and then twists his body to toss it down river on the shore.

It does serve to divide the forces, as three acarits begin to skitter down the shoreline towards the backpack, while three remain on the shore, watching the man poignantly.

Otto Stonefish moves his shield back to his right hand (Ol' Otto's a lefty) before he may or may not betray himself by casting a brief look out of the corner of his eye to where he hopes his reinforcements might be coming from before glancing towards the spiders as they arrive at the backpack. Then, he shrugs and yells at the top of the bellows he calls lungs, "Ol' Otto ain't no pasty fasted noble twat! Ol' Otto is one of his own lordship's Deepers! Ain't bend a knee for no man and no spider in-par-tick-you-lar! Die, the scurvy, dung encrusted lot o' yas!" He launches his bearded axe at the closest of them before unlimbering the bigger one and preparing, mentally at least, to die as he stands in the water.

Otto's axe falls wide, nonetheless kicking up sand towards the spider-creatures. His shot is answered by two arrows into the midst of the acarits, one plunking into the sand with an angry hiss, the other plunking squarely into the back of an acarit. It hisses, turning towards the source of the arrows. Two Deeper longbowmen and two Guardsman rush in from the Keep, eager to help. The two uninjured acarits spring from their positions, launching themselves towards Otto.

"Light cursed gauntlets! Ol' Otto, talk less!" mutters Otto to himself as his axe slips out of his wet gauntlet and goes off in a random direction. He is just trying to get his other axe out when the two acarits nimbly avoid the show of defense put up by the shield and latch onto his shoulder and hip, sending him off balance and into the water. He tries flailing around down there, getting one under water and, maybe, banging the other one about with his fist.

Apparently the spiders aren't so agile when they're attached to someone. Otto's fist knocks into one of them, sending it moving downstream at a fair clip, and the other stops moving after a few moments underwater. The injured one falls over after a moment from its wounds. It's not more than a moment, however, until the other three realize the ruse, and begin quickly skittering back towards the action.

Otto Stonefish splutters and spits as he lurches up to his feet, getting out the big axe for real this time. He yells at the three spiders as he stays out of the bowmen's way, edging towards the drier land. He doesn't yell much in particular, just kind of makes loud noises. "Ahh! Heregurgle! Arg! Avast!"

The bowmen's shots rain down once more, their angry sand noises both managing to miss the approaching spider-creatures. As the acarits make their way to the shoreline by Otto, they clash with the guardsmen, the men's clubs also whiffing by the fast creatures. But the acarits seem focused on Ol' Otto, seemingly waiting for him to emerge.

Otto Stonefish doesn't seem to need to be yelling to do much distracting. There's a pause where he chews on his shield, content to let the spider's wait a moment longer. Then, he's kicking up sand as he runs at the spiders, holding his axe like a polo jockey might hold whatever dainty tool it is they use to hit that ball from horse back. He substitutes his legs for the horse and a spider for that ball thing. He doesn't go so far as to call tally ho. The man has his dignity.

The creatures are simply too fast. Even with the help of the two guardsmen, none of the three can manage to get their weapon on the foot-tall spiders as they bounce and sway out of harm's way. As Otto emerges, two move to spit a green goo at Otto, while the third shoots at the much more experienced guardsman.

"It was _you_," howls Otto as he tries to cleave something more substantial than air with his axe. "That near ruint Ol' Otto's lady!" He also gets goo spattered over enough of his body that it'll cause him problems in the not too distant future. He doesn't seem to be thinking about that. Fixed in the past, is Ol' Otto.

The axe does manage to hit more than air this time. Much more than air. It cleaves the spider creature in half, and a sepia-colored cloud forms for a brief moment, with a high-pitched squee before dropping silent. One of the guards's clubs finds purchase on another of the acarits, sending it flying through the air and into the water. The third acarit apparently decides enough is enough, and begins to skitter at high speed back towards the axe on the ground.

Ol' Otto's memory of the past includes that fancy piece chunk of metal, and he launches his shield like an oversized frisbee at the acarit, telling at the bowmen, "Shoot that spider critter, and Ol' Otto'll grease both your palms with a thousand imperials!"

The acarit manages to dodge the three assaults as the guardsman trek after it. The creature reaches the axe, and somehow the tiny creature manages to heft it up on its back, beginning to run towards the bushes, albeit much more slowly.

"You only live once," mumbles Otto as he eyes the bushes the spider is making off towards.

He charges with his axe up. He stops once he gets to his shield, though, unless the spider is just asking to get caught.

While it isn't just asking for it, an arrow manages to find its way into the creature's visible hindquarters under the lifted axe. The acarit hesitates, then falls just by the line of bushes.

Otto collects the axes (both the fancy spider gift and his old one) and his shield before he goes over and pays up to the archers. He tells the other, "Lads, Ol' Otto ain't made of money. Iffin he was, there wouldn't be 'nuff to go 'round no ways. You two got to get your cut out of his lordship. Tell him you save Ol' Otto's hide proper." The old man also remembers to get his much abused backpack. Carefully.

Season 7(2008)