ORIGIN - the stalking horse was hides the guy

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Its magic was just serving to make the spiders more irritable, an itching sensation crawling beneath closed plates. The icing on the cake, though, was the fact that it was essentially locked in place as far as twisting mobility went, trying to get its footing and haul itself out of the water; and now the little bastards were going for less fun places to hang out.

Alpha blew air and spiders out of its nostrils again, swarmed eyes lifting to watch the bubbles drift away and screwing shut again in a vain attempt to keep them out. JUST BREATHE, its body wailed as webbing started to be wound around it. I'LL DROWN, it hissed back, even as darkness crept in.

But, persistence and not backing off until it was dead was what the orthoclase was known for, and if a scared conscious wasn't going to make use of those gills being gnawed on, the subconscious would make it happen. Starved for oxygen, Alpha inhaled through its sides and an immediate panic set in. That was unnatural, it wasn't used to that -

There's spiders in there. It recoiled, grimacing harder at the rising level of pain that was bringing about. Time to be quick.

It craned its neck, blowing out another round of spiders from its nostrils and prying open its eyes to stare at the silk being sent out. Alpha crouched down, stiffly kicking out its hind legs to keep that nonsense away from it. Chunks of keratin were already starting to wear off like old molt, but - fast enough?

@Game Master Dark

GIANT WATER WALKER: 91/100 HP

The spider engaged, for a moment, in a confused game of "shove the silk threads back and forth." As Orthoclase-Alpha kicked, it kicked back, and the clumps became waterlogged, floating somewhere in between them, threads of it drifting loosely away.

The tiny ones were now biting: tiny bites, non-venomous but slowly, slowly chipping away at any soft tissue they could find. Very gradually, the gills were experiencing microscopic shreds. A few got in between Orthoclase-Alpha's eyelids; a few found worm-company there, unexpectedly. Ears, perhaps, and the ones in its nostrils began to trundle down its throat, for its usual lungs, or gut...

Orthoclase-Alpha is taking damage each round that the tiny spiders continue to gnaw at its softer body parts. It has a chance now to inflict damage on the Giant Water Walker, or attempt any other action.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

For the moment, dealing with all of the tiny spiders was impossible.

So, turn focus on the big guy.

The kaiju twisted and grimaced as it slid down the incline, more pieces of expanded keratin drifting off in the water. Head Honcho spider loomed above, an imposing disc-shaped silhouette. Its gills flared, sides stuttering once with a barely restrained cough and squirm as spiders brushed against the feathering. Minimal breathing or get out of the water.

Have to get time to get out, first.

It crouched, a muffled growl rumbling through its throat and the water, before springing at one of the giant spider's closer forelegs. May as well abuse the density and slowed gravity of water. Alpha's limbs were swinging in a half-swimming motion to keep that momentum, jaws agape to get a savage grip on a thin leg.

@Game Master Dark

GIANT WATER WALKER: 88/100 HP

Jaws closed briefly on the thin black leg--which jerked up with surprising force. Orthoclase-Alpha left torn tooth-marks along its length.

The foot rose up, high above, sharp and barbed with tiny hairs. Slender. And then came cracking down, twenty-odd feet of perhaps four-inch-wide chitin with a lance-like point spearing for the Alpha's body. Most likely the spider was simply trying to get away, to put down its foot and push for safety. And it didn't weigh much, but the force, the weight, behind that leg was enough to do some serious damage: either to crack Orthoclase-Alpha's chitin somewhere, or to puncture, if it were unfortunately lucky, some softer point of its body.

Orthoclase-Alpha must roll above a 12 to avoid being speared by the spider leg.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Shit, its mind bubbled.

Alpha scrambled to jump back up the slope before that spearing limb came down.

The logic machine was kicking in now, and it was fairly certain that staying underwater was a bit of a losing battle against something far more nimble than itself.

Instead, the leg went clean through its right-side scutes, catching a fair few inches into the flesh before finally stopping. Neon blood sputtered out around it, spiralling into the water much like its muffled, echoing shriek and reflexive crouch away from the pain.

@Game Master Dark

GIANT WATER WALKER: 88/100 HP

The leg stuck... jerked, but stuck again--then finally jerked free. The Water Walker turned, as if to pull away. It was a shy beast, despite its size. It knew that a good portion of one of its legs was currently floating down through the river, to settle on the bed. And Orthoclase was heavy, and tough.

Meanwhile, all the tiny spiders scented blood. They swarmed for Alpha's wound, intending to... enlarge it. It would take a few hundred bites to do so but they were many, and they were determined.

Orthoclase-Alpha may take this opportunity to attack the Water Walker, or to take any other desired action.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Did it ever like spiders before? Maybe just that giant one it'd fought in that room —

Ugh, no. Every single one of these things could burn for all it cared. They were an absolute nuisance. The giant water walker moved away, and Alpha barely spared it a glance before setting to trudging back towards the surface, and out of the water — huffing out spiders as it went and gritting its teeth as those stupid little fangs kept nibbling everywhere.

Slip, fall, and back at the bottom it was.

@Game Master Dark

The Water Walker did not appear liable to actually pursue. Indeed, it was pacing swiftly out of the water in the other direction, its stiltlike legs carrying it away. All... seven that remained, at least.

Orthoclase-Alpha was still being swarmed by spiderlings; it could choose to deal with these any way it might know how, or to pursue the giant Water Walker instead, and press the attack.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Press the attack.

(Surely, it wouldn't die from a spider infestation.)

Alpha hauled itself out of the water, still crawling with spiders and now wearing a vast number of lilypads like couture. It wheezed for a moment, caught in the transition between water and air and forgetting — ah, yes, the other lungs.

Ah, there's spiders in there.

The orthoclase coughed, stifled a wince at the puncture wound being slowly opened up more and more, and shifted to chase after the Water Walker and... fire off a thunderbolt at it. Can't have too good of a time sopping wet and running.

@Game Master Dark

GIANT WATER WALKER: 81/100 HP

The spider stiffened as the electricity struck it, and then toppled. It fell as if in slow motion: gradually, and then faster, its legs twitching and curling inward. For a moment, it almost looked dead. And then it raised back up, and with startling speed, turned and skittered directly over the water for Orthoclase-Alpha.

The jaws were strong, despite the lack of venom--able to puncture chitin and carapace--and it came in low, aiming to drive its bite for Orthoclase's neck or, if that failed, head.

Orthoclase-Alpha must roll a 17+ to avoid the Giant Water Walker's attack on its neck or head.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

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