For those travelling the rocky valleys the Shekats call home, a number of peculiar, surreal sights have began to appear.

At first it was the occasional presence of a larger variety of Shekat, locally referred to as Spectres, picking off intruders into the valley without an inch of mercy. The occasionally disappearances of the Shekats all together had been at times observed, and all other sorts of peculiar, strange behaviour.

Though the most recent development is, perhaps, the most intriguing.

On the rocky walls and the earthen floor of the area, various symbols, glyphs, and even random letters have begun to appear in patches - carved into the surfaces as though by a knife. They seem to mean nothing, lacking rhyme, reason or form.

The Spectres continue to patrol the ridges, watching for their next meal, or the next intruder - eyes gleaming with a faint sense of sentience.

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Mostly Retired

Delarwyn that had disturbed the creatures once, has kept an eye opened for the changes. She usually scouts the area in search for knowledge on the dangerous creatures that are now neighbors of the Shrine.

When she sees the symbols she frowns and collecting her notebook, she copies each and everyone of them and take them to Jud'Vardas.

She then kneels at the feet of the Idol of Eilistraee and praying the prayer her son Reh'Cra Salenor Kenlyl has taught her she ask Eilistraee for guidance and for protection to the Shrine and its people.

It is becoming an absurd, they are preparing something and we shouldn't let them gather and take their time. She thinks with herself as she leaves the idols and start to prepare arrows that would be efficient against magical creatures and aberrations to use against the Shekat when the times come. Because she knows quite well, the time will come.

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Signature by Qualiz

Del's Characters Entry - Amiawiki.

Upon seeing the symbols, Jud muses to himself...

I wonder, are we seeing attempts at wards or magic, or a crude attempt at a "get the #@$% outta my house!" sign?

*At the construction site of the new Minmir bridge the leader of the Triadic Knights is pondering.*

It is obvious that they are causing a problem, why don't they allow us to run them down?

*Delaran Faernkerym, the Knight of the Queen of Arvandor, can be seen near the Shrine's Arachnid Valley exit, going over his teaching materials and occasionally reading beneath one of the trees, casting only the occasional curious glance toward the valley.*

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Morgan Blancrest: The Rage from The Cage
Lucas Baker: Humble Swordsman
Wesley Fletcher: Greasemonkey Extraordonaire
Also known as: EmoPinata

The chaotic patches of apparent 'symbols' and lettering in the earth grow by the day, most nothing more than a few feet across, and never seeming to actually mean anything. No magical scriptures, nor linguistic representations, seeming at the time to be nothing more than a random reproduction of common characters found amidst written language.

Whatever purpose they're dong it for - it's apparent alot are working at it, for those who venture into the valley itself find almost every inch of the land covered in various iterations, attempts, or presentations of this chaotic 'text'.

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Mostly Retired

*Upon passing through the area on taloned foot, keeping east of the road.. he would take wing, gliding off the coastal updrafts. Keen, he attempted to see if the writings would make sense from another view.. from.. above.*

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Dwagin [Duh-wa-GIN] N. - 1a. Small and cute thingum, particularly fond of four legged scaled creatures of the metalic and chromatic varieties.

-Extraordinarily ordinary in the mostest of ways.

"Weeee know whats it means yess hehee"
*maggot would taunt passers by from behind an illusion of invisibility only long enough to startle them with his taunt. The chaotic symbols mean nothing more to him than the patterns of sand in a desert, his insane mind twisting it all up beyong any logical sense.*

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Plays-
Maggot Bucktooth (Retired)
Giando Paladrious (Retired)

*Delarwyn can be seen observing the spiders for hours every day, she doesnt attack them, but keep hiding and observing.*

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Signature by Qualiz

Del's Characters Entry - Amiawiki.

Running around the shrine's outside perimeter as he has been doing ever since he started taking classes with Raine, Rizzen comes upon some of the glyphs and wards.

"I wonder... does this have to do with that incident with the Ogres some time ago?"

Aware, or hoping, that Jud'Vardas is probably already taking measures to investigate the case, he resumes running, making mental notes to ask about that to the Seneschal.

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

After having talked to Jud'Vardas, Rizzen can be seen making camp east of the road, just after one leaves the forest.

When he is not running around the perimeter, training as told by Raine, he is setting camp.

The 'lone' drow's purpose there has been to warn adventurers about the change in behaviour of the Shekats and the possible increase of danger.

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

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Calypso (Lady Calypso, Caly)
Stormy Dawn (Ar'ellin'ah)
Kisuri'ou Yoru (Ryuko)

Favored Quote:
"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man." -Shakespeare

While stalking silently through the Valley of the Arachnids, Kor'drimm stumbles across a set of the crude runes. Slowly kneeling, as not to draw attention to herself, Kor'drimm runs her fingers slowly over the runes almost as if she were tracing them. Taking a quick mental snapshot of the runes she rises and looks around at the spiders completely oblivious to the sneaky archer. With a slightly faster step than that which she arrived with, Kor'drimm makes her way out of the valley and moves on with her patrols.

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"I once took the high road and it took me straight to hell and I stood there all by myself." -Hank III

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Adair - Druid and part time treant cosplayer

Lila flies over the valley regularly, keeping an eye on things, skirting as much as she can to the side of the path away from the valley when travelling through, muttering under her breath and holding her helm on protectively.

*after Ar'rn'ah and an elder elf has spoken of what is going on in the valley she goes there hidden in the shadows once more and watches for any signs that hold the theory they spoke of as fact*

*muttering to herself as she watches*
they do show some signs of intellegence...maybe they are reaching out hmm.

*takes down notes in her journal and continues watching them. After copying down any new runic letters or possible words she missed before, she enters the caves to see if there behavior is different inside*

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Calypso (Lady Calypso, Caly)
Stormy Dawn (Ar'ellin'ah)
Kisuri'ou Yoru (Ryuko)

Favored Quote:
"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man." -Shakespeare

A small shadowy figure can be glanced once or twice along the numerous cliff edges, armed with a dark-shaded bow in hand with no arrow notched at the ready; the 'shade' can be seen watching the spiders for long numerous moments, slipping away from sight when someone comes near, to the view of the eye, or when a spider approaches.

Even if a person managed to get a glimpse of him, his entire attire would still appear to a mystery of whom he might be. No skin to be seen upon his person and only dark clothing, a creepy regular helmet that's worn by many, and the skinny figure of a Shadow Dancer.

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The Spectres had gathered, under the watchful eyes of one of the shadow-stepping Wraiths. One Spectre in particular stood out, as it had a half-elf's hand inside its mandibles, a full-blood elf kneeling beside his mate.

Katsumi, for her part, was not wholly thrilled about being this half-elf. However, she remained on her knees, quietly speaking to the spider, and so the very beginnings of communication have been forged. She'd insisted on the protection of these creatures, figuring that their now-building of a blockade around the Valley was just them walling off their house..
"There are young within! Who here wouldn't attack an invader to protect their children?! I know I would. Be silent, for the love of the Gods and let me try to talk to them!"
She'd snapped and forced the group of people to allow her peace and time to try.

That is, until a particularly stupid half-orc shot a bolt at the Wraith, and turned even the curious Spectre against the large group that had gathered.

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Aly'dra Zau'ana: Priestessish Of Eilistraee
Danika Nefzen: Druid of the Earthmother
Delia Am'Anodel: Paladin of Torm

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Mostly Retired

Tristan is around...And He's scared. More spiders, Bigger spiders, other spiders... They behaved oddly.

They behaved like they had some kind of Pack mentality, Like they had some kind of Hive brain or hive mentality... It was not normal for a spider.

Spiders hunt alone, Spiders eat spiders. Spiders doesn't co-operate like "THIS!"
Tristan left to see the Glade members...

I sat in my office after getting back from that spider-infested alley, knocking back a few shots of bourbon to calm my nerves as I tried to figure out whether this cheap booze I'd bought was more or less poisonous than Shekat venom. It didn't burn as much going down as that poison dripping from the new spiders' fangs, but considering the blood pounding in my head didn't start until I picked up the bottle, I had to wonder. Then again, I'm no alchemist; I'm Tracer Bolt, Hired Eye.

I'd been hired by this rich uptown broad to go find some of the spiders' egg sacs in the valley, because apparently the upper crust of Cordor ain't satisfied with caviar anymore and'll take any excuse to get their rich kicks from the newest fad delicacy, especially if it means some adventurer risking getting chewed to bits by a bunch of angry bugs in the process. But the money was good, and cheap as my whiskey was, I was running dangerously low, so I took the job.

I'm not sure what gave me a worse feeling: the new kinds of spiders holed up behind the rock walls, the symbols carved all over the ground and into the cliffs, or the jerky I'd bought from Griff for dinner on the way to the job. I was hunched over trying to figure out what all the carvings meant when I heard a loud clicking behind me, and not the clicking of a crossbow getting ready to fire at your back like I'm used to. A few of the new spiders had climbed the cliffs and were moving in on me like Sharessans on a new broad in the bath house. They didn't attack, but I ain't sure if it's because they were just trying to scare me out or because I hadn't given 'em the chance to.

I slipped the bottle of bourbon into my trenchcoat as I stepped back outside into the cool night air of South Cordor. It was raining, the kind of rain that always reminds me of my ex-wife: cold, hard, and making too much noise for a guy to think. But I ain't got time to think about the weather, anyway. Something's funny with these spiders, and it's about time I went back out to the valley to get a better look at what was carved into the rock. Besides, I ain't writing an almanac; I'm Tracer Bolt, and I've got a job to do.

A particular drow can be seen in the Valley frequently. She doesn't venture beyond the cliffs and into the heart of the valley, but she remains at least within visible distance from the road. She doesn't really do anything. She just watches, listens, a wooden druid's staff in hand. When approached by the shekats, she remains entirely calm and allows them to get close, apparently untroubled by their proximity. It would seem that the shekats do not mind her presence, as she is not attacked.

If asked, she says that her name is Jrrip Kil'tlar and that she is a druid of Mielikki.

A druid garbed in woodland colors passes by the Valley occasionally. He sticks to the road until he gets to where some of the barricades were formed. He calmly walks forward to them, looking up at the spiders, and nods as if understanding. If any spiders approach him, he acts neither hostile nor frightened. When any travellers make their way through, he tells them to please stick to the road and keep their weapons down. If he sees Jrrip, he smiles and joins her, conversating in a friendly manner.

After speaking with Unen over the dealings with the spiders in the Valley, Lens a servant of the Forest Queen prepares himself for a mission of learning more. He gathers Jerry and Unen and a few others where they head into the Valley, into the Valley to do what Lens set out to do. Once inside the Valley and ten long minutes of casting Lens finally completed his spell and spent some time speaking to the stones of the Valley. They remained in the Valley for some time then went to the entrance to warn others to not enter, as also sending a message to the glade and the grove for a meeting.

While investigating alternate routes the orcs surfacing by green lake might take she hears the distant rumbles and goes to discover the reason for it.

Kel'riia sat on a nearby hilltop, gazing back toward the valley, her face a mixture of fear, awe, and....perhaps a touch of morbid curiosity. The events she'd seen unfold had put her on edge, more so than usual. The mere size of the creature that had caused the ground to shake so was overwhelming in and of itself, but that it was one of them....no, not merely one of them. All who had seen it had instinctively known what it truly was. It was impossible not to, with such a frighteningly powerful and obviously protective aura around the thing.

....and so at long last, the Shekat hivemother had shown herself....

Kel'riia had never felt so much dread in her life as she did now, thinking upon the possibilites which could unfold, if the proper steps were not taken, and soon.

Jrrip drew her staff close against her shoulder as she gazed up at the heavens. She wanted so much to help the shekats, to guide them to a lifestyle that didn't rquire constant slaughter and threats from beyond their borders. They had learned the numbers so quickly. Judging by their attention spans and lack of great patience in a prolongued amount of time, she didn't expect she and Aserios would be able to teach them the entirety of the Common language. But perhaps they could manage to teach a few key words.

Drawing out a small book, she began to write. Briefly, she watched a shekat "spectre" wander by with a handful of soldiers to work on pulling rocks from the cliff face to use for their barricades. They didn't pay any attention to her, but she knew they were well aware of her presence. Ever since they had allowed her to remain so close all the time, she wondered what exactly they thought of her. They were friendlier with Aserios than with anyone else aside from her her, as well. She was quite pleased that she could share this with him. She liked Aserios. He was like a kindred spirit that she had never had before. She usually stood away from the other druids, not shunned, but not wholly accepted either due to her heritage.

A smile found her lips, one of her rare, genuine smiles. After a day of chaos, it was a comfort to know that there was [i]someone[/i] at least who would not argue her every word and berate her for "sanctioning the murderous inclinations" of the shekats.

She sighed heavily as she closed her book and decided she would do it later. She wouldn't mind more company. As long as she had followed and supported Madrik, she had allowed herself to hope... But he was not here. He was doing the work that had always been his path. She was glad he could keep doing it; she knew he enjoyed helping others and she wanted her best friend to be happy. This time apart was likely for the best, as well. She knew he didn't like drow, and likely never would feel entirely comfortable around her when she stayed in her natural form for so long, but it was the safest form for her to use while she did her own work as a druid with the shekats. She hadn't seen him for a while, though, so she hoped he was all right.

It had been several days days since she had communed with the earth with Aserios and she hadn't seen him much since then, either. She told herself she would make sure she did find him soon. There was much to do yet - ...and she missed his company. His friends were protective of him, and did not trust her, a dhaerow who dared claim to be a druid. She hoped they would see in time that she meant no harm and truly only wanted to help.

An insistent nudge drew her away from her thoughts. She turned to look at the spectre, who thudded its dull leg against her arm, then pointed at the nearby rock wall. With a bow of her head, she hopped up and shifted into the shape of an earth elemental, a form which didn't seem to alarm the shekats. At their direction, she tore into the cliffside and pulled out a boulder for them, placing it where they wish. She does this frequently and any who pass through the valley may witness it.

Jrrip is again seen in the Valley, moving rocks for the shekats using the form of an earth elemental and helping them set up their "X" signs. When she's not helping them, she's seen sitting on the central rock or off the road by a tree. Either way, she seems to stare blankly at the sky, quite a bit less responsive to travelers than she has been, but still as friendly as ever should her attention be drawn from her thoughts.

[i]Occasional piles of large and small chunks of uncut but quarried granite are left lying out next to road, apparently someone is leaving small presents for the quarrying arachnids.[/i]

Madrik Street finds himself alone in the camp again, yet he does not feel alone. He did not speak to Roxanne much, but he didn't need to. He was in a simple state of awe. After words expressed to Jrrip in light of his agony, she still came back to him in such a manner that would ease his troubled eyes. This gesture alone kept him speechless, yet he did not thank her. His acceptance was word enough, he hoped; his acceptance both conditional and unconditional.

He knew where Jrrip was and what she was doing. He understood. In light of her gesture, he became at peace with it as the sorrow he drew from the woman dissipated.

Madrik continued his own work. Traveling the roads, he often looked to the sides just in case his beloved dog will burst from the bushes in excitement as she has done so many times already.