07-03-2014, 07:55 AM
Meanwhile, ahead of the rest of the party, the woman in the red robes shivered, then grinned, turning to her two guards. She clasped her hands behind her back and glided across the room- or cave, as it were- deliberately placing each step. Her hands feathered just across the surface of the Light magic that disguised the entrance to their cave. At long last, she spoke.
"Gentlemen, are you familiar with the Bernese trapdoor spider?"
Confused, the armored men exchanged bewildered looks and then shook their heads. "No, Milady Brigitte, we haven't seen any spiders, or trapdoors. Should we have?" asked one of them. They weren't particularly bright, and were Lycian-born besides. Neither could fathom why she had chosen now to talk about spiders of all things. The inquisitor nodded.
"Well, perhaps not. Allow me to enlighten the two of you, as well as provide you with a valuable piece of knowledge about our work here." Brigitte paused for a moment, tilting her head as if straining to hear something, then smiled again. "The Bernese trapdoor spider does not spin its web like most other arachnids. Where other spiders content themselves with a net of sticky silk, ensnaring unobservant prey, the trapdoor spider is considerably more cunning. It makes its home in a hole in the ground, lined with fine silk fibers, a good deal of which are woven into a door over the entrance. This alone is a marvelous feat, to be sure."
The guards simply nodded, trying to follow as best they could.
"However, the true marvel lies outside of the spider's lair. You see, the Bernese trapdoor spider lays down thin, nigh-invisible strands of silk in a web around the outside of the door. Each of these strands leads inside her house, and each is stretched so tightly that the slightest movement instantly alerts the spider of the presence of her prey. As soon as one sets foot outside..."
With one swift movement, the blonde woman whirled around to the masked cave entrance, dispelling the glamour with a flourish. Even as she did so, she dropped low to the ground. Crackles of Light magic suffused her hands in an iridescent nova of force. Her eyes locked on the lone mage. It was unfortunate that only one was near, but the sensing field projected by the Holy Torch staff given to Brigitte by the Church was specifically designed to detect blasphemous magic. It would not be a total loss if one more corrupt mage were wiped off the face of the planet.
"She strikes."
The searing arc of the spell struck a manic glint in her bright blue eyes as it screamed toward Panika.
"Gentlemen, are you familiar with the Bernese trapdoor spider?"
Confused, the armored men exchanged bewildered looks and then shook their heads. "No, Milady Brigitte, we haven't seen any spiders, or trapdoors. Should we have?" asked one of them. They weren't particularly bright, and were Lycian-born besides. Neither could fathom why she had chosen now to talk about spiders of all things. The inquisitor nodded.
"Well, perhaps not. Allow me to enlighten the two of you, as well as provide you with a valuable piece of knowledge about our work here." Brigitte paused for a moment, tilting her head as if straining to hear something, then smiled again. "The Bernese trapdoor spider does not spin its web like most other arachnids. Where other spiders content themselves with a net of sticky silk, ensnaring unobservant prey, the trapdoor spider is considerably more cunning. It makes its home in a hole in the ground, lined with fine silk fibers, a good deal of which are woven into a door over the entrance. This alone is a marvelous feat, to be sure."
The guards simply nodded, trying to follow as best they could.
"However, the true marvel lies outside of the spider's lair. You see, the Bernese trapdoor spider lays down thin, nigh-invisible strands of silk in a web around the outside of the door. Each of these strands leads inside her house, and each is stretched so tightly that the slightest movement instantly alerts the spider of the presence of her prey. As soon as one sets foot outside..."
With one swift movement, the blonde woman whirled around to the masked cave entrance, dispelling the glamour with a flourish. Even as she did so, she dropped low to the ground. Crackles of Light magic suffused her hands in an iridescent nova of force. Her eyes locked on the lone mage. It was unfortunate that only one was near, but the sensing field projected by the Holy Torch staff given to Brigitte by the Church was specifically designed to detect blasphemous magic. It would not be a total loss if one more corrupt mage were wiped off the face of the planet.
"She strikes."
The searing arc of the spell struck a manic glint in her bright blue eyes as it screamed toward Panika.