Gamma 588 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Duskcrawlers Art by Ryan Van Dongen Origin Duskcrawlers first originated from the domain of Nightfall, within the Eternal Forests of the Aspects - small arachnoid creatures, borne of Nemiisae’s demesne. Great colonies of these arachnids spanned the canopies under the moon, ravenous and all-consuming. Eventually, however, as with most things fey, fate had other plans for these swarming children of Grandmother Spider. The moon hung full one solemn autumn’s eve, and through the Fae Ring ventured some unlucky few of these curious creatures - and ‘lo, they found themselves within the realm of mortals, now disconnected from the forest they called home. Over time, the Duskcrawlers adapted to their new environment, and their collective mindset once again settled on their primitive directive… To grow without end. Physiology These arachnids, known colloquially as Duskcrawlers, take the form of small spiders, bearing a pallid white coloration, with their eyes taking on a similar ivory sheen. This species is characterized by a degree of sexual dimorphism, with the females ranging between 6-7 inches in size total, while the males range only some scant 3-4. They bear the usual properties expected of an arachnid; fangs, eight legs, etc., though with a few notable differences - namely, their highly potent venom and bile, which allows this species the ability to mutate and corrupt wildlife (or organic life, more simply) into more arachnoid forms at its leisure, assimilating them into their social structure. This is owed primarily to their feyish origin. As well, this species does not possess a ‘queen’ or broodmother, resulting in all specimens being relatively identical to one another in capability and physique. Additionally, this species possesses the ability to weave sticky webbing. These webs are fairly sturdy in their make, requiring sharp steel to cut through if one were to try taking a blade to the silk, though fire would clear them out in relatively short order - which serves to illustrate another shortcoming of the creature. When faced with heat and flame, one would be able to ward off entire hordes of these creatures relatively easily, as they had adapted to a life in complete darkness. Their exoskeletons, as well, provide little protection against fire or mundane weaponry, given their size and the thinness of their shell. Habitat Most commonly, Duskcrawler colonies are known to make their nests in areas of near or absolute darkness. Generally, this takes the form of vast and intricate nests formed within cave networks deep under the earth. Most anywhere will do for these creatures, so long as the nesting grounds house ample prey, and are not located in sub-zero temperature areas. Behavior Duskcrawlers are a unique species in that they are not formed around a central ‘queen’ or broodleader, instead taking the form of a loose collective of males and females, organized into a ‘hivemind’ of sorts, based on pheromones and passive communion. They are primarily swarm-based, and incredibly territorial creatures. When a vibration is sensed upon their web, or they are out hunting, they will gather in large numbers, with the females leading the charge. Often, the females will leap onto the facial region of a given ‘prey’ animal, attracting attention to herself while the males swarm the target. Duskcrawlers are sadistic creatures in that they prefer to leave their prey alive for as long possible, siphoning blood and nutrients from them before the females will often seek to lay their eggs under the skin or hide of the creature, where upon hatching, the spiderlings will consume their host from the inside, before emerging from the creature; often, this is through the stomach. Though for wildlife that survive the process or did not experience such will mutate into an amalgamation between arachnid and their former selves. These creatures prize their nests and territories, such often able to be identified due to their vastness, and the numerous dried out husks and carcasses of consumed creatures that decorate the surrounding area. Often, Duskcrawlers will hide in these desiccated corpses, or in crevices and cracks, awaiting new prey. If a nest were to be destroyed, these spiders would evacuate in force, fleeing deeper within the caves in order to resettle and survive. Abilities Their most extraordinary ability is their proficiency in mutation, their fey venoms and secretions able to ‘corrupt’ wildlife or organic matter into assuming a distinctly more arachnoid form. This often takes the form of strange hybrid creatures around a nest, which E.T can experiment with at their leisure. The mutated creatures will seek to consume flesh and corpses to gain biomass. It shall continue to devour until its body can no longer support the mass it gained, perishing in the process. This usually takes multiple Duskcrawlers, and is not done in the midst of combat. When in active combat, their venom acts as a sedative of sorts, steadily draining a victim’s stamina and vitality the longer they are envenomed. This may be cured via bloodletting, Fervor Concentrate, or similar. Their small and varied sizes often allow them to slip through the gaps in plate armor, enabling them to bite at the flesh beneath and inflict their venom upon an individual, with their fangs being sharp enough to punch through hide with ease - though, they cannot bite through metal. Often, they are able to swarm an individual who is on their web, as any walking on a Duskcrawler web has their movement speed cut in half (two blocks instead of four, for instance.) These creatures are able to be easily warded or burnt to a crisp by mundane, alchemical, or magical fire, or crushed and cleaved by mundane weaponry. Spoiler May be utilized in the creation of new lore pieces pertaining to these creatures, such as grimoires for mutated wildlife. Only playable by the ET, with their nests requiring an in-game build to represent the structure, unless future lore states otherwise. Duskcrawler venom is perishable, unable to be stored or harvested from the creatures whatsoever. Duskcrawlers primarily hunt by sensing the vibrations of a specific prey creature stepping upon their webs, as their eyesight is relatively poor. Vibrations only trigger if one were to pluck a strand of the silk, step upon it, etc. These webs are highly flammable, and may be readily burned away by mundane fire, Will o’ Bottle, Voidal Flame, etc. If one were to commune with a Duskcrawler or hybrid, they would be subject to a vast chorus of voices, filled with thoughts of expansion and hunger, unable to decipher any meaningful or intelligible information. Wildlife mutated by duskcrawlers may grow in size, yet must bear a spider-like aspect. The process of the hybrids consuming and gaining mass to the point they perish lasts around 50 narrative years. Duskcrawlers and hybrids may not be kept as ‘pets’ or utilized in any domestic or controlled fashion. Lore Citation https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/191508-aengudaemonica-nemiisae-grandmother-spider/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/161000-%E2%9C%93-the-fae-realm/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/166951-%E2%9C%93-rewrite-~~fairy-rings~~/ Credits Gamma_Byte, Frott, Leonie, Jaelon, Altiar1011 (Writing, conceptualization, refining.) part 1/3 29 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valannor 6345 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Mmm yes these spiders smell of spiders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfroJoeTheOlogBro 1093 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Spider? Spread? Rampancy? Corruption? SPODER? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestCarolina 1779 Share Posted July 31, 2021 >:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child Neglecter 2138 Share Posted July 31, 2021 yep Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetho 139 Share Posted July 31, 2021 me no want spooders in caves, is scary nuff Also, I might need to bring a torch with me along side with a Fire Evocation mage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustando 1457 Share Posted July 31, 2021 omg gomba byt lore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
King_Kunuk 888 Share Posted July 31, 2021 How many legs does it have Greggory HOW MANY LEGS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rukio 8910 Share Posted August 7, 2021 crab people next Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
𝙻𝚞𝚟 XO 3066 Share Posted September 5, 2021 100% Undertale Muffet xd xd +10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
squakhawk 7945 Share Posted September 12, 2021 This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon. Please note that if this is playable lore, such as a magic or CA, you will need to write a guide for this piece. You will be contacted regarding the guide (or implementation if it isn’t needed) shortly. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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