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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The dreaded Forest of Shadows, to the north of the Tirasus region, is named for the abundant, almost smothering embrace of the darkness within, and the life that flourishes there, doing so by feeding upon the likes of those unfortunate enough to become lost in it's wild bosom. Strewn with leaves, creating a heavy matte of underbrush below, and capped by a thick forest canopy for miles, only the heartiest of men and women dare set foot into the depths of this terrifying place... and not simply because they are afraid of the dark. Unless one has a pact with the cursed wood, they risk the hostilities, and even worse, the appetites, of the predatory stalkers lurking in the wooded void. Perhaps the worst fortune for the would-be adventurers of the forest, is the nature of it's keeper... a blend of both guardian, and the most deadliest of the inhabitants; the very fear of all who venture inwards. While the Forest is hostile to the majority of those who enter it, purely because of the fiendish beasts that inhabit it, it does have an... enticing lure: It is the resting place of many ill-fated adventurers and would-be saints, and perhaps, more enticingly, a place of many great treasures and left-behind relics of those fallen. It's even rumored that before the forest grew, a pre-Tirasite civilization existed in the area, nestled against and inside the mountainside bordering Sol, Indus, and Kerrigan. Fables tell of this land being the last bastion of the Dwarves, or the Kingdom of gnomes, or even the residence of the only Eladrin empire to set foot in Tirr's Material plane. The legends are many, and the lure is great... But in order to pass through, or even have a chance at surviving, the Keeper must approve. Aranae, the Recluse. She has lived amongst the denizens of the shadows for centuries, even before the city of Tirasus was even the smallest of hovels, the closest of the Forest's neighbors, barring the nations of Sol through the notorious Fungal Pass. Despite her apparent longevity and legendary status, little is truly known... at least, to the civilized people of the region. Only one human has ever earned the favor of the strange woman, being Mot, the Magus who left the Tirasite Noblemen to live in exile, in a tower beyond it's borders. Beyond that, only the Goblinoids of Kerrigan's Plains know of her in depth, information known suggesting the practice of sacrificing captives to the mysterious creature. Nothing can truly be verified beyond her capacity to weave webs, and her semblance to that of nature's common silk-spinner, the Spider. According to the few Goblin accounts, and the only records that Mot made before he passed on, She takes the appearance of an elegantly clothed woman, between seven and eight feet tall, with a strikingly beautiful mane of silver hair. Her demeanor seems elegant, but almost eerily cold, plotting at each and every moment, never the slightest flinch of her crimson eyes. She has multiple appendages, those of a human, and the additions of an arachnid, sprouting from her back. Her stare pierces through all she surveys, summarizing her soon-to-be prey, or so one might think, and rightfully so, in almost all cases. Mot died, however, before he could write more. Those who are captured by the Goblins and have heard more, if ever, have never returned to speak of it. Legends, however, far and abound of her nature. They've told that she is capable of producing this webbing from multiple orifices; That she can ensnare you in a sticky matrix of doom from down-range, dragging you off to your fate... That sometimes, she doesn't even have to relocate the webbing, simply pulling victims right into her body, trapping them within... and not just in her stomach, either. A few wilder, though more risque tales. Others say that she's quiet; A calculating and observant creature, merciless and precise but far from prudent... That her indulgence is legendary, in its own right. Some say she may not even be wholly a woman. Surprisingly, should you actually come and find yourself in Aranae's presence, and much more likely, in her sights, a large portion of those things above are true. Aranae is disarmingly quiet, in expression and speech, even to the point of appearing shy or embarrassed... but, as her prey might find, she is horrifyingly carnal, though not outright sadistic. It's because of this, that cannot help but indulge... when she feels someone or something struggling in her webs, awaiting what might soon follow as these motions are put to use for her own delights and nourishment. She's become enthralled with the mere idea of it, and, given her nature, she's quite adventurous. The Forest of Shadows and its ruins keep the woman well fed, and sated; A steady stream of adventurers always seeming to show up, expecting to search the dark forest, perhaps even find Aranae's lair, filled with the treasures her previous victims have left behind. Sometimes, even a Holy man or woman decide that they might purify the wood, and rid the world of her presence. Whichever path they follow, it all leads to the same destination: Aranae, the Recluse. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes:
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