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The Ecology of the Giant Water Spider (unpublished AD&D 2E version)
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<blockquote data-quote="Richards" data-source="post: 2324064" data-attributes="member: 508"><p>I awaken, screaming, to find the spider next to me. It is halfway through the passageway at the bottom of the dwelling, with its two front legs perched on two of the anchor-lines. It is perfectly still, as motionless as a statue. As I look closer at its abdomen, I can see it breathe, slowly, slowly. What calm it radiates, when compared to me, its future meal! My heart still pounds with the speed of a woodpecker's tattoo upon bug-infested wood.</p><p></p><p>I can make out the coloring of the creature's abdomen: it is gray, like that of a wolf, and covered in short hairs. As it nears the beast's head, it becomes lighter in color, almost the tan of a newborn fawn. I can make out darker markings upon its back, and the uniform black of its unblinking eyes. There is a reddishness about its mouth organs, the wicked fangs that protrude from the front of its head. Oddly, though, it is not the harsh red of blood, but a gentler hue, like that of the sky at sunset. Almost beautiful, in its own way.</p><p></p><p>I amaze myself by being calm. Once I forget that this creature will no doubt eventually kill me, once I put that from my mind, I can begin to see it objectively, and it is, in fact, quite beautiful. Graceful, even, in its movements.</p><p></p><p>I can even begin to appreciate what it has accomplished. It is a spider, a creature of the earth and of the underearth, and yet it has managed to carve a niche in this hostile environment, living underwater amongst the fish of the lake.</p><p></p><p>And it has not killed me yet. Perhaps it will not. Dare I hope?</p><p></p><p>Perhaps.</p><p></p><p>I feel my heart rate slowing as my thoughts travel in these strange directions, as I remove myself from the all-encompassing terror of my own mortal demise. I am an elf, and have lived for over six centuries. If I am to die today, could I truly say that I have been cheated? I allow a quiet calm to fall over my entire being.</p><p></p><p>Then the spider makes a darting motion, and my heart jumps a beat. I scream out in terror. To the Nine Hells with tranquillity, I don't wish to be eaten by this fiend!</p><p></p><p>Fortunately, I am not the object of the creature's notice. It leaves the dwelling, and I am again alone.</p><p></p><p>I think about my knife. I wear a small blade in a sheath on my belt. It was there when I fell overboard, and should be there still. But the webbing is too tight, and I cannot reach it, with my arms pinned to the sides as they are. I curse in frustration. I can feel the knife's hilt press against the inside of my left arm. Only a few inches away, and yet it might as well be a mile.</p><p></p><p>The spider returns, and I see the reason for its haste in leaving: it detected a fish brushing up against its webbing, captured it, and brought it here. The fish flops feebly in the air of the spider's dwelling, but these twitches slow as the creature dies. The spider's venom has entered the fish, for I can see some dripping down its sides. How I envy the fish! He was captured and immediately devoured; he did not have to live the agonizing torture of anticipation!</p><p></p><p>The spider is not wrapping the fish in its webbing as it did me.<strong>[8]</strong> Instead, it is dribbling its venom onto its meal, liquefying it as surely as if it had poured acid onto the poor creature. I am glad the fish is dead, glad that it suffocated before having to live through this; I can only imagine the pain involved in such a fate.</p><p></p><p>Imagine? I have done little else since my capture!</p><p></p><p>Still, the question arises: why is it eating the fish, instead of me? Not that I'm not grateful, but it doesn't make sense. Is this perhaps an indication that I am not to be eaten after all? Or am I being saved for a later meal? But if so, why?</p><p></p><p>That is the real question: Why? But my sleep-deprived brain can summon forth no answers.</p><p></p><p>Exhausted, I fall asleep to the gentle swishing sounds made by my <em>ioun stone</em>, and the horrible sucking sounds made by my eight-legged captor at his meal. In my dreams, I have become the fish.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Richards, post: 2324064, member: 508"] I awaken, screaming, to find the spider next to me. It is halfway through the passageway at the bottom of the dwelling, with its two front legs perched on two of the anchor-lines. It is perfectly still, as motionless as a statue. As I look closer at its abdomen, I can see it breathe, slowly, slowly. What calm it radiates, when compared to me, its future meal! My heart still pounds with the speed of a woodpecker's tattoo upon bug-infested wood. I can make out the coloring of the creature's abdomen: it is gray, like that of a wolf, and covered in short hairs. As it nears the beast's head, it becomes lighter in color, almost the tan of a newborn fawn. I can make out darker markings upon its back, and the uniform black of its unblinking eyes. There is a reddishness about its mouth organs, the wicked fangs that protrude from the front of its head. Oddly, though, it is not the harsh red of blood, but a gentler hue, like that of the sky at sunset. Almost beautiful, in its own way. I amaze myself by being calm. Once I forget that this creature will no doubt eventually kill me, once I put that from my mind, I can begin to see it objectively, and it is, in fact, quite beautiful. Graceful, even, in its movements. I can even begin to appreciate what it has accomplished. It is a spider, a creature of the earth and of the underearth, and yet it has managed to carve a niche in this hostile environment, living underwater amongst the fish of the lake. And it has not killed me yet. Perhaps it will not. Dare I hope? Perhaps. I feel my heart rate slowing as my thoughts travel in these strange directions, as I remove myself from the all-encompassing terror of my own mortal demise. I am an elf, and have lived for over six centuries. If I am to die today, could I truly say that I have been cheated? I allow a quiet calm to fall over my entire being. Then the spider makes a darting motion, and my heart jumps a beat. I scream out in terror. To the Nine Hells with tranquillity, I don't wish to be eaten by this fiend! Fortunately, I am not the object of the creature's notice. It leaves the dwelling, and I am again alone. I think about my knife. I wear a small blade in a sheath on my belt. It was there when I fell overboard, and should be there still. But the webbing is too tight, and I cannot reach it, with my arms pinned to the sides as they are. I curse in frustration. I can feel the knife's hilt press against the inside of my left arm. Only a few inches away, and yet it might as well be a mile. The spider returns, and I see the reason for its haste in leaving: it detected a fish brushing up against its webbing, captured it, and brought it here. The fish flops feebly in the air of the spider's dwelling, but these twitches slow as the creature dies. The spider's venom has entered the fish, for I can see some dripping down its sides. How I envy the fish! He was captured and immediately devoured; he did not have to live the agonizing torture of anticipation! The spider is not wrapping the fish in its webbing as it did me.[b][8][/b] Instead, it is dribbling its venom onto its meal, liquefying it as surely as if it had poured acid onto the poor creature. I am glad the fish is dead, glad that it suffocated before having to live through this; I can only imagine the pain involved in such a fate. Imagine? I have done little else since my capture! Still, the question arises: why is it eating the fish, instead of me? Not that I'm not grateful, but it doesn't make sense. Is this perhaps an indication that I am not to be eaten after all? Or am I being saved for a later meal? But if so, why? That is the real question: Why? But my sleep-deprived brain can summon forth no answers. Exhausted, I fall asleep to the gentle swishing sounds made by my [i]ioun stone[/i], and the horrible sucking sounds made by my eight-legged captor at his meal. In my dreams, I have become the fish. [/QUOTE]
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The Ecology of the Giant Water Spider (unpublished AD&D 2E version)
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