a spiders walk

[Falonthas]

:a gloved hand writes in a flowing form,elven but not quite:

these surfacers are indeed intriguing
they hunt little kobolds and trap them watching them suffer as they are bled to death

i could think of a few other ways more interesting if bleeding them out was a goal

the daylight causes pain,and i am glad this cowl shades my face well enough to keep it to a minimum

one potential soldier has been found,a strange orc i think,a wielder of a double axe
he fights well even in the blinding light and very well in the dusk
i shall have to harness this one and cultivate him for my plans

there are many who wander the surface,lion men,humans who are interesting for the first five minutes before they speak their crude words and dont listen after

one such spoke the tongue i understood vaguely,a dialect i suppose
some words just dont fit right

i shall have to cultivate a few more soldiers and then my plan can begin to take shape and find a central location,that stone palisade is not defensible

perhaps the mountain entry,ill have to see it again and how hard it may be for those not able to hide well to attain its portal

i told the one who spoke in dialect my name is thomas,i heard it in the dock area in the palisade,so for now it will do
he even knew that they would likely not be able to say my elven name,
ha they think i am but a surface archer

good all the better they think such thoughts
i shall continue the ruse to make my way around and find out all i need to know about these light wanderers

hmm the horn sound again,they have given me coin to shoot the creatures they engage,coin is always good for something i suppose

:the gloved hand closes the small book marked with webs:

[Falonthas]

:the gloved hand moves across a fresh page:

they all speak the slave tongue,everyone of them
human dwarf half human orc blood all of them

i recall hearing it when i went to visit the slave pens before a sale years ago
it is the surface tongue
they were crying then
and they wil cry again,as now i know exactly how to put this into work
a permanent slave source sent below,all i have to do is find the right middle connections
hmmm
but then again the chosen ones i saw today would not care for it too much
their shiny blue and silver armor while they cut the kobolds and bugbears in half
slaves killing slaves,how intriguing

and yet they dared attack the spiders dwelling in the cave,though some were past living and just sort of emerged from the stone
but the spiders here have protectors as well
large monoliths that walk and destroy those who would hurt the prince's chosen
those rock fists laid waste to the group,and i knew my arrows would not harm them but shot i did
to keep my image of the quiet archer that always stands till the order to leave comes

the spiders drank deep this time,and only the ones past death fell to the glowing blades
out of 9 in the group only 3 plus myself survived the initial descent
the cave felt very homey with the webs all over and such
ill have to find myself one as the stone structures that are on the surface are just not right

several knives have been prepared and its time the surface wanderers know there is something else that should be feared

:the gloved hand closes the web covered book:

[Falonthas]

the gloved hand opens to a new page*

it has been a fortnight and my wanderings have taken me the length of this isle
it seems large wooden constructs take them from place to place and they stop at each stone fortress,even though i wont bring myself to speak it i am gaining some comprehension of this upper realms slave dialects

their little furry beasts they kill for food,and i have found a few who kill for sport
but something else
if you take the hides and strange growing things from the soil,they are just like having trade coin
so i have begun when i see such oddities i pick them up
already i have a freezing twin blade that i practice with daily
its a bit to learn as it twirls about,but i will get the hang of it

i have come across the  orc who wields a double axe once again,who would make a very good lieutenant,now is the time to cultivate him more

a mage was met just in the morning hours that others cant stand for he looks out for himself it seems
he tosses fire like its a toy,this one will be good to cultivate as well

hmm mage and a warrior,now if i can only find a healer who walks the shadows as well

there is one female who wields a halberd,she said she was summoned above by a dragon
i have never heard of such things,why would any shadow dragon bring one of us above for a fight with a bloodthing
i have heard of the blood war,but i think this is something much different

not sure if she will fit in but she is kin and if taught her place she may be a valued asset

*glancing up at the shallow cave*this place is good for now,keeps the light at its brightest away while i keep my cowl down until i can see to move about

its time for the webs to be spun

*the gloved hand slowly closes the book covered in a web shaped pattern*

[Falonthas]

*a gloved hand opens the web marked book and flattens a new page*

it seems that demon kin walk the surface as well

in my innocent travels with those still thinking im a simple archer

we came across two of the demon kin with their travelling companions

the meat shield as the grubby human called him jumped up and into their face,with some sort of insult though i know not what

it seems these surfacers have been seeing my kin for many years now,and not all from raids and pillaging
a dragon called several and they have adapted to the surface and fight for the humans when called upon
this dragon must have cast some spell upon them as any with a clear head would see only an entire isle of slaves waiting to be chained and sold below

ran across a few dwarves acting like rabid rothe,and was happy to introduce a arrow point to the eye and taking their ears for future use

it seems as though toxins to bring about the work of the spider are freely made by many,they just fail to see the proper use for them

the dark hearted mage was seen again callous and overbearing to his companions,it will be good when he thinks he is welcome to find his body so full of toxin over time that the final taste rips the life from his limbs,and another fine meal for the spider

it will not be difficult to form a dark alliance with some of these surfacers,though the grubby human will serve well i feel

and besides if he gets out of line then the fangs shall feast upon him as well

i will continue on with my assumed role as it allows me access to almost everywhere
though the orc that was run afoul months ago still recalls the toxic touch of my blade

he will learn to hold his slave tongue,or he will die

*the book is slowly closed and its web covered cover placed back in its silken embrace*

[Falonthas]

: a gloved hand opens to a fresh page:

it seems that  there a many of like thoughts they simply had no one to step to the front and bring those thoughts to the forefront

the orc i have seen now many times and he excells in his wielding that double axe
the dark mage as well with his destruction magics
the demon kin keep to themselves and they have some who overlook their blood
the other surface kin i have found,some still claim a dragon brought them forth
while others simple loss of all family before they found the blinding surface

perhaps there are others as well simply needing to be cultivated

one has been found who walks in the shadows touch,a surface female
twin red hued blades at her disposal and knows how to use them
i will have to see exactly how enamored of the shadows she is and how the spider can coax her along the web strands

a grey has been spotted and his hide shall adorn the cavern wall as soon as i stumble across his path when he is alone and not surrounded by many
shadows will encompass his form and my knives shall take the lifesblood from his very heart.before he lays cold to the touch and then his hide can be rendered from his corpse
:looking down in his pouch at his various trinkets:
dwarf ears,goblin ears,kobold ears,human ears,elf ears,an elven mages hand
:a smooth ebon skinned hand pushes these down deep in the pouch before closing the flap and sliding back into a silvery glove:
elven mage ,his eyes grew wide with fear as his magics rolled off me while my blade drank deep of his flesh,it spurting all over the old cloak i had wrapped around myself
a pity he died so quietly,his screams would have been almost musical to my ears

soon the orc that was dipped with toxin at our first meetings shall taste the cold and burning touch of it again as it fills his veins and his eyes go dark,may the spider drink deep from his foul slave felsh

hmm perhaps the shadow touched female can be brought into the spiders fold,and have her blades bring cold journey's into the black of slave death

we shall have to see how far she is willing to step into the shadows and let the spiders bite envelop her

:the gloved hand closes the web covered book and slips it away:

[Falonthas]

:the gloved hand opens the webbed book once more:

it has been two fortnights since i took the time to find my words to the quill

i have found the surfacers dont care for being called those who use the slave tongue
i came across a lonely farmer tending his pigs,and moaning his sorrowful life
a slash of sharpened iron through his throat ended his moaning quite nicely

these surfacers are pathetic in their ways
i used a hollow stump and took the farmers head and removed it with the skinners blade they halfling sold me
a few hours later and the head was boiling quite nicely and i through some of the heated rocks out with a pair of sticks and let the waters cool down
the skin slid off the skull most easily and with some cotton fibers and a needle i found in a shop i was able to thread the flap of skin inside the ornate collar of the surface robe i found

a perfect disguise,with the thick robes they cant tell my elven form,some dye and a short bow from a traveller and the guise was complete

the farmer lives again,in a sense
the cured skin fits to my face with some gummy resin i found in a tree and it almost reacts to all my movements

a few more trips around the island and i think i will call a meetings of those who think as i do
this dust still swirls,and suffering is all around
a pity i cant let them suffer more when they drink the poisoned waters of the small wells i have found

those who walk in shadows are coming into view moreso then before,and the female is hunted by a mage from below
she will be penned or dead,if the past females he knew of had any bias toward this ones actions

these surface walked have left a nice things for a eye weary traveller though

hidden near a caravan is a small cavern perfect for resting the day burned eyes
soon it will be time for venom to flow the underground wells and then the cities shall be brought to their knees
the spider shall reign well when they weakened fall prey to the simplest of ails

its time to set my plans in motion,and bring the members into view of each other
the brawn
the blast
the blood
and the shadows wrapping them ever so tightly

its time to walk with fangs dripping a burning path to the unwary

:a gloved hand closes the book and the webs fall back into place:

[Falonthas]

:a black skinned hand opens to the next page in flowing script:

the beginning of the apprentice coming fully below the shadow line has been set fully into motion

the shadow cloaked female is willing to take what steps wrap her in shadows closeness after feeling the darkness around her as it is below

many darthir rush about now exploring the lands frought with peril to their lives

in my farmers face i travelled into some mountain ranges and watched as ogres were confronted,until of course the smarter ones were discovered
the ones who used the magics and cut through the gathered line like a elemental through stone

the cavern has become a refuge,and it does my eyes good to rest without the burning daylight even though cloud filtered as it may be

the apprentice shall bring forth the brawn and the blast

the blood will have to be found once more

several goblins of late have come from their caves and attempted to fit in

one a mage of sort witha cackling tongue is annoying at best,but his smaller friend who begs and demands payment for watching a hunt

his demands this day met him a swift touch of steel and the sight of his lifesblood draining from the hole in his chest

darthir may cry and scream but demand makes nothing happen save death

it felt good to end its pathetic whimpering life as well ,sending it to its caves once again,if they so choose to raise it

the blood washed away in the next rainstorm
i must see about collecting some coins for this as it was said one of a town pays for goblins ears and heads

ill have to take all collected with the goblins pate on the top for him to see first

they like to yell about those of below
its time they ran and hid like the simpering darthir just yet untraded

if this one i hear of pays good coins i may bring him all the goblins heads for simple sport of it

:the dark hand closes the book and the webs fall back into place:

[Falonthas]

:a black skinned hand opens the book to a fresh page:

the name i had heard weeks prior now has a face
ozymandius the arch bard

the one holding the whip near fort vehl had spoken of this all knowing arch bard
the true evil force upon the face of the surface

im not impressed in the slightest bit

though he spotted a mage of somesort from below,wearing the spiders tendrils does tend to give you away when your sitting in the middle of a town

he is a pale skinned elf of some age if the slight wrinkling near his eyes tells anything,and was reading a tome of some sort

again no consequence,though it appears he was talking to my shadow giving advice

ill have to fix that
the lands around the towns i have become familiar with are in much turmoil

wild beasts roam and maul travellers

mercenary bands attack at whim

though i dont have a problem with them they should use their brains before attacking armored bands moving through the wood

the cavern has become home,though the door seemingly locked into its frame is somewhat unnerving

in time i shall have to find a way beyond that door and see its hidden treasures
several other names have been heard when shadows have come in talks

though those i have heard thusfar are all ancient humans,and not much of anything anymore

the shadows will grow strong and in the sight of the greatest light
and the spiders touch shall be felt cold and burning through the lights greatest champions

darkness shall reign supreme and the darthir shall make my coffers grow

the though of killing in one strike as before has come into my thoughts more and more
stalking and then a strike as the lifesblood fails to flow

i shall have to think on this much more and see about learning more of these ones i walk beside even in the farmers face

:a black skinned hand closes the book and the webs fall back into place:

[Falonthas]

:a black skinned hand opens the book and smooths a fresh page:

it seems these darthir have a morality problem
if they have troubles with others they fight amongst themselves with words

sometimes they go to a magic chamber and fight but they dont cause actual harm
the magics keep them from perishing whether they are right or wrong

well i dont have this moral issue,and the druid came close to finding that out if he had stepped closer

it seems its ok to hunt a cat if you see it wild but if a druid is speaking to it,mind you that it sounds like hissing and growling to me,they get rather upset

if a cat hisses and growls at me,i have its pelt to sell to the leatherworkers

if that druid with the overbite hisses and growls at me i will have to find one who deals in druid pelts

it also seems that the darthir are willing to pay to have their troubles removed from sight and mind

this could be a very profitable avenue,indeed
they pay i remove who was troubling them

my shadow is growing well in her steps,she can wrap herself in darkness and finds the solace she craves
she will be my liason with these who would pay for removals

even though that one pair of goblins i will remove from everyones sight for practice

a giant kin has been found in the travels,dumb as stone,but maleable for my needs
he will come in handy in time
the brawn runs about smashing whatever he can find in the way of his axes
the mage has been taking long walks in the woods with some striders of sort
perhaps the mage shall be removed
the demon blood have grown in number
a lisping hissing tailed one has been found,and he hates being away from his plane
perhaps a mutal gathering
the lifesblood shall spill
the eyes will grow dark as the lifebringer will taste the spiders vengeful touch

his face will grow cold as not even his god will be able to save him

his body is beginning its path as each time he imbibes more of the venum until such an amount is present that the slightest touch will activate it in his blood and cripple him

the spiders touch will soon be felt in the darthirs world

and my coffers shall be overflowing with their gold trade coins


:a black skinned hand closes the book and the webs fall back into place:

[Falonthas]

: a black skinned hand opens the book to the next page:

much has transpired

it seems there are some darthir that think as i do
and one is desiring to be contact of sorts
this will definately be worth looking into


the small dogs living in the tunnels outside the large city are growing more fierce as they are culled a few at a time
between them and the growing amount of orcs the darthir are about to have their hands full

shadow is doing well she is stepping lightly along the path,and also is falling farther from herself,which is good

until you dont care about the lives of those who you may face,you wont be able to draw the blade out of the wound that causes the lifes essence to spew from

watching the eyes grow black as they fade from world
a shame really
if they were more interesting to kill it would be much more amusing to drag out their torture and strip the flesh from the body an inch at a time cauterizing the wounds with hot ash so they would not perish from the skinning
but they would suffer as is befitting any who face us

came across one of the blood who had forgotten what it was like to be around his kin
he was i dont wear armor
i dont use weapons

when he faces his maker he can recall the feeling of when i pulled the blade from his heart and left him in the grass covered in his own blood

he will recall his heritage now,but its too late for him

if we were below they would have healed him and then sent him for the ritual
if he was lucky he would be a drider
if not he would become nothing


*wiping the residue of the blood from the etchings in the blade*
such a bleeder this one was


:pulling on his gloves and then closing the book webs falling back into place,as he rose and took his small pack from the cavern :
yes time to find a new place

[Falonthas]

:the gloved hand slowly opens to a fresh page:

shadow is a traitor to her own desires
she craves the darkness yet is afraid to let go of the light
a job and she ran her mouth right after to exonerate herself

below her mouth would have gotten her a steel dinner while they smiled at her for her information

in the fortnight since this last was written much has happened
testing security it was called
more like the others wanted to see if they had what they needed

the purple loud darthir was dispatched handily by the liason

some dye and a new farmers head as the old one didnt last to long
good to go with a bit of that tree sap fits like my own skin

have a light walkers head skin as well but i dont think i could wear it without being un lightwalking
acting human is easy
just be rash and loud and tell them you want more coins

found out there are little things can be combined to become very useful
must work on this while i practice the slip strike with my blades

slide between the rib cage and death is instantaneous

the liason paid well
i wonder if shadow is the next target
she should be for having such a big mouth

perhaps
it will be a kill relished like that which got my thin knives so many years ago
her essense dripping into the dirt before she falls to her knees eyes cold and lifeless
yes will be an improvement

such a flitter

all darthir are fit for one of two things
death
or the block
and i have yet to see one worth much for a block

:the gloved hand slowly closes the book and the webs fall into place:

[Falonthas]

:a red tinted glove opens the book as the webs fall away:

it seems that the spiders have a new foe
the cold revenge was working well on shadow,

when that shadonite priest she fawns over found a way to cease the toxins spread

well then the priest shall fall to the spiders fangs as well,
but only after he watches his precious shadow die in his arms

he may have stopped the toxin itself,but her body is still marked by its flow
a subtle dose here and there shall gradually reach the level to drop her from this life

a pinprick,a smeared edge,a cloudy wine,all shall rid the darthir of his shadow
she will grow cold and only with her last breath will she realize her betrayal cost her the very existance she holds so dear

the priest will then meet his end,stripped of his armor,begging for his trickster to aid him
we shall see how he begs for his life with broken hands and feet
dragging himself by his stumps before his lifesblood is drained

the perfect infiltration and setup is working exactly as planned

my web is woven through the many doors and windows of the cityscape
and the rumors i hear are amazing

the fallen dragon judges are those who seek the one who caused strife
let them seek as then their subtle weakness will be apparent to all,the fallen of the dragon god

they should look at themselves first

the darthir breed like rothe and are of the same temperment
but with a little prodding and coaxing they will simply do exactly what is desired even if they havent a clue they are walking thier own path to demise

if i was a surface creature,i suspect i would pity them

instead they are naught but toys and pawns in the greater game of my sitting house of this cursed bright land

their time is coming
slowly they move till they will fall over the edge
as their bellies groan,and their families grow weak

its time to take their liquids as well
and see how their spirit dies

:the tinted glove shuts the book and the webs fall back into place: