The sign on the door read "Guest Lecture Series - Entomologica Fantastica, presented by Kikwi."
It was an effort by the college to garner more public support from the city, and these after-hours sessions were both free of charge and open to the general public. Naturally, only subject matter deemed of lowest importance was permitted to be discussed, and so Kikwi found his proposals approved quite readily. Likewise, the talk was not held on college grounds but in a small auxiliary building just outside. The dining area of said building had been converted into a makeshift lecture hall.
Kikwi didn't mind any of this, sooner or later the college would realize that magic was only part of this magnificent world. In the meantime, everyone deserved the chance to learn.
The tables had been arranged a grid, save for one at the front of the room upon which many books and scrolls had been haphazardly stacked. Behind this, standing on a stool, was the small kenku. In the middle of this table was a cloth covered something. It looked a bit like a box underneath, but it was completely hidden. Each other table also had a cloth covered something at its center, with a handwritten sign stating "do not remove until instructed."
Not many people showed up, but when the time came Kikwi tapped a small blue gem pinned to the collar of his robes. It began to glow.
”WELCOME EVERYONE,” his small voice boomed across the room and made his own feathers stand on end. It seemed overkill for such a small group, so he gave the crystal two taps with a claw and the glow faded away.
”Ahem, welcome,” he said in a normal, if not slightly high pitched voice. “And thank you for coming this evening.” He swallowed, feeling his mouth become very dry as he looked at the small audience. He hadn’t been in front of this many people since his admission hearing, and that had been grueling enough for a few lifetimes.
“I, uh, would like to thank the College for giving me this opportunity...” he was supposed to say something more but it had escaped him. The small bit of cloth in front of him moved with a metallic rattle from beneath, and Kikwi snapped back to attention. “Yes! Anyway, uh, tonight we will be learning about a rather spectacular creature. It is common in caves and, if you have the know-how, very useful!”
With a flourish (or an attempt) he took hold of the small cloth and whipped it off to reveal a small metal cage, inside of which was... a spider.
A large spider.
”Aranacica elongata, also called the giant Cave Widow!” He looked around with bright eyes, looking for a face that matched his own excitement. He continued. “Now, travelers know to always light a fire when spending the night in a cave. It is not the light, but the heat that keeps the Cave Widow at bay. There is good reason for them to do so, for the venom in this spider is strong enough to put you into a rigid paralysis for... oh, about a week.” He found he could speak quite easily now that the subject had turned to spiders, and his confidence continued to grow.
”But! What many travelers do not know, is that the giant cave widow’s venom, when used properly, is a very potent coagulant; ideal for stopping up small wounds. It is also a powerful stimulant: by adding the venom to water, boiling it, and then inhaling the vapors, one could stay awake for a full night without feeling an ounce of fatigue. But, a word of warning to students, if overused the steam will cause a nasty headache. Oh yes and occasionally blindness that usually clears up in a day or two.”
He looked around at the students once more, expecting to see a sparkle of wonder in their eyes to match his own. Such a thing would be difficult.
"Getting the venom is quite easy, observe." The small owl gently opened the lid on top of the cage. The spider flattened itself and made an odd rattling sound. Then, ever so delicately, Kikwi reached in a tiny claw and scratched the spider on its back. The rattling stopped, and the spider seemed to relax. Then, without warning the small creature shuddered and, for lack of a better term, sneezed. It shot back against the edge of the cage while a hefty spray of mucoid fluid spattered the opposite wall, upon which a glass plate had already been lain.
Kikwi retrieved the plate and held it aloft. "Voila! Pure cave widow venom! Now, you each have a spider and we will be practicing extracting the venom. Take care to move slowly, and to scratch precisely where its head meets its abdomen. And never fear, if you are bitten, we have Maester Mulberry standing by." He gestured to a small, wizened old woman in dim brown robes and eyes so sunken that they scarcely opened. Or maybe she was just asleep?
"I will be coming around to see how you're all doing. Carry on!"
It was an effort by the college to garner more public support from the city, and these after-hours sessions were both free of charge and open to the general public. Naturally, only subject matter deemed of lowest importance was permitted to be discussed, and so Kikwi found his proposals approved quite readily. Likewise, the talk was not held on college grounds but in a small auxiliary building just outside. The dining area of said building had been converted into a makeshift lecture hall.
Kikwi didn't mind any of this, sooner or later the college would realize that magic was only part of this magnificent world. In the meantime, everyone deserved the chance to learn.
The tables had been arranged a grid, save for one at the front of the room upon which many books and scrolls had been haphazardly stacked. Behind this, standing on a stool, was the small kenku. In the middle of this table was a cloth covered something. It looked a bit like a box underneath, but it was completely hidden. Each other table also had a cloth covered something at its center, with a handwritten sign stating "do not remove until instructed."
Not many people showed up, but when the time came Kikwi tapped a small blue gem pinned to the collar of his robes. It began to glow.
”WELCOME EVERYONE,” his small voice boomed across the room and made his own feathers stand on end. It seemed overkill for such a small group, so he gave the crystal two taps with a claw and the glow faded away.
”Ahem, welcome,” he said in a normal, if not slightly high pitched voice. “And thank you for coming this evening.” He swallowed, feeling his mouth become very dry as he looked at the small audience. He hadn’t been in front of this many people since his admission hearing, and that had been grueling enough for a few lifetimes.
“I, uh, would like to thank the College for giving me this opportunity...” he was supposed to say something more but it had escaped him. The small bit of cloth in front of him moved with a metallic rattle from beneath, and Kikwi snapped back to attention. “Yes! Anyway, uh, tonight we will be learning about a rather spectacular creature. It is common in caves and, if you have the know-how, very useful!”
With a flourish (or an attempt) he took hold of the small cloth and whipped it off to reveal a small metal cage, inside of which was... a spider.
A large spider.
”Aranacica elongata, also called the giant Cave Widow!” He looked around with bright eyes, looking for a face that matched his own excitement. He continued. “Now, travelers know to always light a fire when spending the night in a cave. It is not the light, but the heat that keeps the Cave Widow at bay. There is good reason for them to do so, for the venom in this spider is strong enough to put you into a rigid paralysis for... oh, about a week.” He found he could speak quite easily now that the subject had turned to spiders, and his confidence continued to grow.
”But! What many travelers do not know, is that the giant cave widow’s venom, when used properly, is a very potent coagulant; ideal for stopping up small wounds. It is also a powerful stimulant: by adding the venom to water, boiling it, and then inhaling the vapors, one could stay awake for a full night without feeling an ounce of fatigue. But, a word of warning to students, if overused the steam will cause a nasty headache. Oh yes and occasionally blindness that usually clears up in a day or two.”
He looked around at the students once more, expecting to see a sparkle of wonder in their eyes to match his own. Such a thing would be difficult.
"Getting the venom is quite easy, observe." The small owl gently opened the lid on top of the cage. The spider flattened itself and made an odd rattling sound. Then, ever so delicately, Kikwi reached in a tiny claw and scratched the spider on its back. The rattling stopped, and the spider seemed to relax. Then, without warning the small creature shuddered and, for lack of a better term, sneezed. It shot back against the edge of the cage while a hefty spray of mucoid fluid spattered the opposite wall, upon which a glass plate had already been lain.
Kikwi retrieved the plate and held it aloft. "Voila! Pure cave widow venom! Now, you each have a spider and we will be practicing extracting the venom. Take care to move slowly, and to scratch precisely where its head meets its abdomen. And never fear, if you are bitten, we have Maester Mulberry standing by." He gestured to a small, wizened old woman in dim brown robes and eyes so sunken that they scarcely opened. Or maybe she was just asleep?
"I will be coming around to see how you're all doing. Carry on!"