Connects to: 02.04 and 29.14.13.
The trees here are thicker and closer together than in most other parts of the Kingswood, and their leaves do not match those of any species of tree known elsewhere in the Shrouded Lands. The reason for this is a closely-kept secret by the human-armed spiders (‘araneas’, in their own language) that live here: before the Shuttering (29.14.13), the araneas escaped the conquering of their home plane and brought with them saplings and seeds.
The forest here is dark and dank, and a permanent mist obscures anything more than a few paces away. The elves do not walk here.
The araneas are keen astrologers and capture all who they find on their land. Once the captives are securely webbed, the araneas ask them for their date of birth. They then consult elaborate star maps engraved on bronze before acting upon the horoscope: sometimes sacrificing the captive, or setting him or her free, or harvesting some body part, marking their captive or giving him or her cryptic advice. Occasionally, the araneas will swear to serve the captive and help her (so far, only women have been chosen) to achieve her destiny.
Connection:
- The araneas fear and will flee from anyone whose finger has been cooked in the finger stew of the mountain shepherds (02.04).
Hooks:
- Is the araneas’ home plane at all accessible?
- What properties to their plants have?
- Who has had his or her horoscope read by the araneas and lived to tell the tale?
- Why do they read horoscopes?
- Have any of these plants since been grown elsewhere?
- Did the araneas bring any animals from their plane here?
