Fable - Ask The Abyss Walkers

[Nokir]

Nokir was a Drifer. A species not new to Arethil but never seen by anyone or anything else before. Drow, who lived nearest to them, never came back from their deep pits because they were a Drider's food, and they couldn't allow any meal to be skipped.

But in recent years, the Drider population had been increasing exponentially and The Abyss was no longer large enough to house such an expansive, ravenous species. So they dug, in all directions as ordered by The Pentarchy. And they reached the surface.

They attracted attention of course. Of all kinds. Inquisitive, curious minds sought to learn more. Others wanted to ensure that they were not a threat. Others wanted to negotiate. Others wanted to exterminate.

The first and largest break was now a gaping pit somewhere in the Falwood, and the trees around it were covered in spiderwebs the size of small house roofs. One of these new webs belonged to Nokir.

Now to explain what Driders are. They are human torsoes on top of spider bodies. And they're huge.

Nokir sat in his sleeping web when one of the many strands of silk hidden along the ground alerted him to a presence. He sniffed. It was an orc, a new scent.

Urmugh

 

[Urmugh]

Endless months of wandering, but at last something interesting to see. I was walking through the enormous forest when I heared people coming from all directions. I hid behind a tree, not wanting to be seen. When they left, I sneaked out, but faced a web. A huge web, which instantly trapped me. "What is this?!" I grunted in orcish, grabbing my sword to cut them. After several minutes, I set myself free, but had to spend more time to get those sticky things off.

"Done" I thought. When did those webs sprout? I had been in that forest for a few days, but hadn't seen one, nor one so big, ever. I looked up to see how big they were, but the webs weren't as impressive as their owners. I knew what a human was, I knew what a spider was. But those were humans and spiders. "Uh... sorry for breaking your home, I didn't know it" I said in my mother tongue, along with some gestures to be more clear.​

 

[Nokir]

Endless months of wandering, but at last something interesting to see. I was walking through the enormous forest when I heared people coming from all directions. I hid behind a tree, not wanting to be seen. When they left, I sneaked out, but faced a web. A huge web, which instantly trapped me. "What is this?!" I grunted in orcish, grabbing my sword to cut them. After several minutes, I set myself free, but had to spend more time to get those sticky things off.

"Done" I thought. When did those webs sprout? I had been in that forest for a few days, but hadn't seen one, nor one so big, ever. I looked up to see how big they were, but the webs weren't as impressive as their owners. I knew what a human was, I knew what a spider was. But those were humans and spiders. "Uh... sorry for breaking your home, I didn't know it" I said in my mother tongue, along with some gestures to be more clear.​

(Oooooooooh. First person writing. That's never happened here to my knowledge. Interesting.)

Vibrations. Vibrations in the web. He felt them, and from what they were he could tell what was happening. Something was hitting his web, cutting it.

He moved along the silken threads higher up to observe with his beady black eyes. He asked himself in the Drider language of clicking with mandibles and hissing. What is it?

It spoke, in an unfamiliar language. Lucky for the Driders, they had managed to wrest Common from the mouths of terrified drow who had been unlucky enough to fall into their webs. So he said, in common.

"Who is it? What is it?" He asked in a raspy voice. "I never saw anything like it before."

 

[Nokir]

( Urmugh )

 

[Urmugh]

One of them talked. At least I understood the words, despite knowing only a few. "What is it", he said. I looked up and pointed to myself. "Urmugh. Orc. Sorry. Who you?" That being said, I lowered my head, hoping that the human-spider understood what I meant. I sheathed the sword and raised my arms in a clear non-aggressive gesture. "I know no..." I paused, thinking about how to say language, tongue. I pointed to mine. "That you. Orc yes."
​

[Sorry for writing such a short post. Sometimes there's no way to write more]

 

[Nokir]

[Sorry for writing such a short post. Sometimes there's no way to write more]

(No problem pal. I know it.)

One of them talked. At least I understood the words, despite knowing only a few. "What is it", he said. I looked up and pointed to myself. "Urmugh. Orc. Sorry. Who you?" That being said, I lowered my head, hoping that the human-spider understood what I meant. I sheathed the sword and raised my arms in a clear non-aggressive gesture. "I know no..." I paused, thinking about how to say language, tongue. I pointed to mine. "That you. Orc yes."

Nokia cocked his head to the side just a little, and his mandibles, located beneath his human torso, clicked a few times.

"Orc? Yes, orc. I know orc. Urmugh. Name? My name Nokir." He said in his growing, chittery voice. Urmugh might notice that he carried a spear cast entirely from a dull grey metal. It wasn't steel, it was too dark for that, but neither was it iron.

The Drider set the spear down.

 

[Urmugh]

I grinned for the first time in months when I heard familiar words. I was so happy that I couldn't help but start talking faster. "You know my language! But how? And well met to you and your family, Nokir Chief. What are you and your family doing here? I never saw such huge webs, or anyone of your kind." I breathed, then realized that maybe I was talking too fast for him to follow along.

"Sorry. I left home and I don't know other languages, so I haven't spoken to anyone in months. Well met to you and your family, Nokir Chief. Hum... forgive my rudeness, but what are you exactly? I've never seen anyone of your kind, or such big webs." I showed him respect not only because he did understand me, but also because I had left the orcish traditions behind. That, though, didn't mean that I wouldn't defend myself if I had to, even with a permanently injured leg.​

 

[Nokir]

I grinned for the first time in months when I heard familiar words. I was so happy that I couldn't help but start talking faster. "You know my language! But how? And well met to you and your family, Nokir Chief. What are you and your family doing here? I never saw such huge webs, or anyone of your kind." I breathed, then realized that maybe I was talking too fast for him to follow along.

It was just a little fast for him, but after a moment he was able to piece together the meaning. “I know little. Food, elves and sometime roundears, fall in web and teach Nokir. But family I no have. I give a couple females children, but we have no families.”

"Sorry. I left home and I don't know other languages, so I haven't spoken to anyone in months. Well met to you and your family, Nokir Chief. Hum... forgive my rudeness, but what are you exactly? I've never seen anyone of your kind, or such big webs." I showed him respect not only because he did understand me, but also because I had left the orcish traditions behind. That, though, didn't mean that I wouldn't defend myself if I had to, even with a permanently injured leg.

“Chief? What is chief?” Nokir asked, the word was strange to him. “Oh! Oh yes! We are Drider. And new to the surface are we. Come, see.”

So Nokir, with almost unnatural capabilities, scuttled up into the treetops, soon after a thick but not sticky rope of silk was lowered for him to climb. “Come, see.” He repeated.

When in the treetops Nokir would point to a large pit not far away, and filled with more webs. “We come from down there.”

 

[Urmugh]

I noded. "You were lucky to learn. I see... I've never heard anything about Driders. Well, 'chief' means... leader, the most powerful person in a family".
What came next surprised me, as I didn't expect that a silky rope would fall. Climb? It had been ages since I did that, but I went up slowly. It was difficult, and so was keeping that thread in my hands, but I managed to reach the treetop. "Incredible! I can see why I didn't hear anything about your people..." I said nothing for a while, it was enough for me to see the world in a completely new way. Orcs climbed, of course, but not for sightseeing.

"Why did your kin leave your home? Were you attacked?" I asked while giving him a concerned look, now I understood what disasters wars could bring. I felt guilty about my past, but time cannot be changed.​

 

[Nokir]

I noded. "You were lucky to learn. I see... I've never heard anything about Driders. Well, 'chief' means... leader, the most powerful person in a family".

“Few cycles back yes. But now most understand a little of other language.” He said with a chittering laugh. “You compliments are thanked.”

What came next surprised me, as I didn't expect that a silky rope would fall. Climb? It had been ages since I did that, but I went up slowly. It was difficult, and so was keeping that thread in my hands, but I managed to reach the treetop. "Incredible! I can see why I didn't hear anything about your people..." I said nothing for a while, it was enough for me to see the world in a completely new way. Orcs climbed, of course, but not for sightseeing.

"Why did your kin leave your home? Were you attacked?" I asked while giving him a concerned look, now I understood what disasters wars could bring. I felt guilty about my past, but time cannot be changed.

“No, not attacked. Too many. Too many younglings.” He said reassuringly. “More space. We dig. Come here.”

“Wanted to find more tasty elves. Black skinned ones taste best.” He said to the orc.

 

[Urmugh]

"I see. I don't know if there are elves here, but I decided to leave those meals long ago. It isn't good to eat other talking beings. I believe that. My tribe, instead... that's another story. Oh, and if you are talking about the black-skinned elves, I only know that they live where you came from... I know it because other orcs told it to me. So... you chose the wrong way, but your home is still near, you can fix that". I smiled.

"So... there isn't too much room left there? That's sad... and that means that there are no black-skinned elves." I said. Yes, I could be more intelligent than my peers, but if there was no space in the Driders' land, then logically there wasn't room for drows either. "Maybe, if you still want them to feed yourselves, you could like... dig deeper, past your old home?" I suggested. But it was a bit weird to travel to the surface... just to return immediately after. Sometimes I didn't like that my mouth spoke faster than my thoughts.​

 

[Nokir]

"I see. I don't know if there are elves here, but I decided to leave those meals long ago. It isn't good to eat other talking beings. I believe that. My tribe, instead... that's another story. Oh, and if you are talking about the black-skinned elves, I only know that they live where you came from... I know it because other orcs told it to me. So... you chose the wrong way, but your home is still near, you can fix that". I smiled.

“Not always elves. Usually big winged things, sometimes hundred legged things.” He said before he flipped upside down and floating down by another strand of silk which clung to the tree. Once at the bottom he swiftly spun another web for Urmugh to land on.

"So... there isn't too much room left there? That's sad... and that means that there are no black-skinned elves." I said.

“No, there are lot of black skin elves. We just live deeper. And every female carry couple hundred eggs and leave in egg-sack at the bottom of deep pit.” He said. “We grow fast.”

Maybe, if you still want them to feed yourselves, you could like... dig deeper, past your old home?"

“No. Earthfire too hot for even Drider-Forger chitin.” He explained. “We use Earthfire to make our weapons, but we can’t live in it.”

“What about orc? Why aren’t you with them?”

 

[Urmugh]

"Oh... so you don't have other options". I said while descending. It was better to feel solid ground.

Me? My tribe was very inclined to wars, and those who can't fight face death or enslavement. In one battle I was injured, so... I left them. I've never liked wars, actually, so that injury was a blessing from a kind Deity. My tribe's Deity wouldn't allow that... So here I am, alone. I tried to go to a village to get an honorable job, but humans fled scared... I want to show them that orcs can be good too, but if they flee, I can't do that.

I sighed. "Only way be know common... Me no know it but have know it speak people with" I went back to the common words. Using orcish wouldn't help me to learn.​

 

[Nokir]

"Oh... so you don't have other options". I said while descending. It was better to feel solid ground.

“No. No options.” He confirmed. His orcish clearly needed work.

Me? My tribe was very inclined to wars, and those who can't fight face death or enslavement. In one battle I was injured, so... I left them. I've never liked wars, actually, so that injury was a blessing from a kind Deity. My tribe's Deity wouldn't allow that... So here I am, alone. I tried to go to a village to get an honorable job, but humans fled scared... I want to show them that orcs can be good too, but if they flee, I can't do that.

“I sorry. Driders are tough in life’s, throng live weak die, but no war. We have five deities.”

 

[Urmugh]

"I wish you luck. Humans, elves... they don't like foreigners. Or anyone who they consider evil. Like me. It's good to know that you don't fight. I suppose that you only defend yourselves... I like that spear, never saw that metal. Can you tell me more about your deities? My family would not allow that. We only have one, and every other deity is considered an offense. But I think that no deities should be offended, nor people killed. If you do that, you're bad."​