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"Apparently I'm not allowed to ride the Arachnids. I would not recommend going here." - from the memoirs of Lewin Von Treet, Vault: the Land of Stuff and Things
City Description
City Description
Population: ~400
Founded: 850 (1,540 years ago)
The "spider riders" of Arachun are legendary warriors known for their fearsome prowess and ability to traverse the expanse of Mythrisyl Forest with untold speed. Much of the city's history is steeped in the beasts themselves, known as Arachnids. When the Pegasi began leaving the forest to help the people of Highcroft in their fight against the dragons, the pecking order of the forest was disrupted. Legend says a spider, as large as a castle wall and as clever as the gods themselves, went to the Myth Numen known as Elekor and convinced the child of the forest the Pegasi had abandoned the forest, and only the spiders had the skill and cunning to do what they did. While the story is quite long, the result was Elekor named the spider and its cluster the protectors of the forest, granting them speech, intelligence, and strength second only to the children of the forest. These would become the Arachnids. When the Pegasi eventually returned, the Arachnids convinced them they were no longer necessary nor welcome.
Arachun today lends some credence to the tales considering the massive spiders, the Arachnids, are quite different from their more bestial counterparts. They take their duty of protecting the forest very seriously, and have even connived their way into allowing passage into the deep wood for a special few, which ride upon their backs. These riders, known as Ts-Asc or "Of the Web" in the common tongue, have a secret responsibility to fight an unknown enemy within the forest. The entire ordeal is shrouded in secrecy, and none press the issue, considering how dangerous Arachun is to those who upset its inhabitants.
A city of webs, both literal and figurative, Arachun sits on the edge of the Mythrisyl, which means outsiders are free to come and go as they please. Questions have a habit of going unanswered, people have a habit of disappearing, and the city is as confusing to navigate as it is to understand. For those willing to risk wandering through the branches, traversing the webbed bridges, and exploring the hundreds of abandoned and forlorn structures built into the densely packed trees, there is knowledge to be found. Knowledge dating back to the creation of the world.
City Landmarks
City Landmarks
The Forest Floor - while most of the inhabitants of Arachun drink the blood of large birds, bats, and other flying creatures, there are those who are not spiders. The Arachnids protect the forest floor of Arachun so an abundant garden can be grown for the non-spider residents. This garden is luscious, abundant, and due to the special nature of the forest, has many foods not found in other places in Vault. However, these foods are kept as secret and hidden as most thing in Arachun.
Silken Road Outfitters - Less of a shop and more of a common supply in the city, those who wish to traverse the webs of Arachun quickly and efficiently should acquire a pair of Silken Gloves, a special material which allows touching the webs without sticking to them. They come in many glamorous sizes and fashions, the crafting of which is a closely guarded secret.
Tomes of Eras Gone - Also not a specific location but a description of the many books, scrolls, and letters that can be found in Arachun through various abandoned domiciles, shacks, and storehouses throughout the branches. This concept points to a distinct depository of tomes that may have once existed near Arachun thousands of years ago. Those books have either been found or stolen and brought here. Many are old enough to crumble at first contact.
Grandfather's Nest - the web in which Grandfather resides. Now too old to traverse the woods as his children do, many believe Grandfather was the very Arachnid who spoke to Elekor to gain his people their cunning and strength. He now sits in a dense funnel web, the bones of his many meals hung about him in a macabre display.
The Hatching Weave - A place that makes many people uncomfortable, it is here Arachnid children are birthed from eggsacs, hundreds at a time. An Arachnid cluster takes many years to emerge, and when they do, they are ravenously hungry.
Ts-Asc Halls - These halls cover everything from meeting places to training grounds. The Arachnids want to provide for their riders, who can go places the Arachnids have trouble going, but they don't understand the needs of common people. These halls are built and crafted from steel-like spider webbing and Mythrisyl wood. The Ts-Asc sleep in hammocks of webbing and sheets of silk.
People of Note
People of Note
Grandfather: Male Arachnid, oldest and wisest of the Arachnids, though no longer able to leave his web
Scarce Eyers: Male Orc, lead Ts-Asc and the one chosen to delve deep into the forest to hunt the enemies of the Arachnids
Tennebrist Soul: Female Human, a long-term resident of Arachun, though not a rider - a researcher and preserver of knowledge
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