Arahoroithra [Construct][Spell]

[JetBlackJoe]

IF ANY OF MY PLAYERS ARE READING THIS, PLEASE LEAVE.

This thread will lay out a symbiotic relationship between master, slave and tool - a Horror, its constructs and a nasty little spell.

I wanted to use the Invae in my campaign, but while searching for ideas on how to use them, I stumbled upon an old thread on rpg.net. Inspired, I came up with an insidious little surprise for my Shaman player, but the idea could easily be adapted to frustrate any spellcasting Disciplines.

In simple terms, the idea is this:

• Araneithrax the Weaver is a heavily spider-themed astral Horror. While Araneithrax can subsist on the "simple" diets of other Horrors, like pain and suffering, it prefers the existential struggle of insects in its web. Specifically, Araneithrax enjoys feasting on Invae spirits and consuming their energy. Most, if not all, its activities are centered on feeding in this way, but in keeping with the spider theme, Araneithrax is a very patient Horror that lurks in its lair where it spins elaborate astral webs.
• Since few Invae (or less tasty meals) come wandering into its domain of their own accord, Araneithrax has created the Arahoroithra. These are also astral spiders, but of the trapdoor kind - not webspinners. The task of these constructs is to hunt for their master and bring prey to its lair. If bringing back the Invae is impossible, Araneithrax can also gain some nourishment from any meals consumed by the Arahoroithra.
• To assist in these endeavors, Araneithrax has created a new spell, Invoke Spider Pounce, that it will happily gift to any willing recipients. This is an attractively powerful attack spell, but unbeknownst to the caster, using the spell will lay Arahoroithra eggs in his or her Spell Matrices.

I haven't made stats for Araneithrax yet, as my group is certainly not ready to face such a foe yet, but I will make sure to update this thread when I do. As it is a Named Horror, I think it will be Warden tier. Araneithrax lurks in the corrupt astral space of its lair and rarely manifests. Its powers will be heavily centered around astral and magical energy manipulation, at least equal if not superior to what a Crystal Entity can do. Something about catching spirits, spells and other astral elements in its webs too. Araneithrax prefers to place its Horror Mark on spellcasting adepts to gestate as many Arahoroithra as possible. Insects (and Invae) will have a weird tendency to appear more in their lives. If they have the Summon Talent, Invae will occasionally answer the call instead of what they wished for.

I apologize for the horrible formatting, but it's the best I can do on these forums. Here are the Arahoroithra:

Spoiler:

ARAHOROITHRA
Challenge: Journeyman (Sixth Circle)
DEX: 7 Initiative: 11 Unconsciousness: 45
STR: 5 Physical Defense: 13 Death Rating: 50
TOU: 5 Mystic Defense: 13 Wound Threshold: 8
PER: 9 Social Defense: 12 Knockdown: 13
WIL: 11 Physical Armor: 5 Recovery Tests: 2
CHA: 4 Mystic Armor: 7 Karma: 4 (8)
Movement: 16 (Climb 16)
Actions: 1; Bite: 15 (14)
Powers:
Ambush (5)
Astral Camouflage (10, Standard): The arahoroithra can hide its presence in astral space, increasing the Difficulty Number to detect or notice it by 10.
Displace (Standard): The arahoroithra can cross between the physical and astral realms.
Enhanced Sense [Other] (+6): Astral Sight, as the talent, Player’s Guide, p. 129.
Poison (12): If the spider’s bite causes damage, the victim must resist the effects of a paralytic poison (see Poison, Gamemaster’s Guide, p. 171). The poison is Step 12 [Onset: 1 round, Interval: 4/1 round, Duration: 15 minutes]. This poison will work against Invae as well. Invae suffer -5 Steps on any tests to resist the poison and the Duration is permanent instead.
Stealthy Stride (12): As the talent, Player’s Guide, p. 170.
Tracking (14): As the talent, Player’s Guide, p. 175. The arahoroithra may track a target through astral space.
Special maneuvers:
Ethereal Attack (Arahoroithra): The arahoroithra may spend an additional success from an Attack test to affect Mystic Armor instead of Physical Armor.
Implant (Arahoroithra): If the arahoroithra attacks a magician with Spell Matrices and causes a Wound, an arahoroithra egg is implanted within one of their Spell Matrices.

They are basically the Giant Trapdoor Spider from Gamemaster’s Guide, p. 340, with the Empyrean Mask, Companion, p. 331, added to them. Sprinkle a few appropriate Horror Powers on top.

The spell, Invoke Spider Pounce, is shown here. It is intentionally a bit too powerful to incentivize players learning and casting the spell. This is the easy part to change - if you have no Shaman players in your group, simply change the elements of this spell to something suitable for whatever spellcasting Discipline you do have.

Spoiler:

Invoke Spider Pounce (Shaman 2nd Circle)
Threads: 0
Weaving: 6/11
Casting: TMD
Range: 20 yards
Duration: Instant / 2 rounds
Effect: WIL+4/Mystic and may cause paralysis
Spirit. This spell summons a spider spirit in astral space to strike at the hopefully unaware target. The magician crouches and pulls his limbs close like a spider ready to pounce, lashes out with his arms as if they were fangs, and makes a Spellcasting test against the target’s Mystic Defense. If successful, the summoned spirit appears in astral space behind the target, manifesting as it strikes and injects its venom into the target. The Effect test determines how much damage is inflicted. If the target is Surprised by the attack, increase the Effect Step by +4. If the target suffers a Wound from this spell, they suffer a mild paralysis for 2 rounds; halving their Movement Rate and causing them to be Harried. Insects, whether mundane or magical in nature, may not subtract any armor from the damage.
Success Levels: Increase Effect (+2 Effect Step)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 rounds), Increase Effect (+2 Effect Step), Increase Range (+10 yards), Additional Target (+1)

Spoiler:

Secret Effects:
When a magician attunes this spell to one of their Spell Matrices, an arahoroithra Horror construct “egg” is laid within the Spell Matrix; also allowing Araneithrax to attempt to place its Horror Mark on the magician. As long as the construct lives, it is impossible to reattune the Spell Matrix. To protect itself, the construct transforms the Spell Matrix, causing it to behave like an Armored Matrix (Companion p. 46) with the exception that it does not hold a pre-woven thread.

Whenever the spell is cast, the astral energy gives life to the gestating spider construct. Each successful casting provides 1 ‘life point’ to the construct, each Wound caused by the spell provides another one, and each insect or Invae slain with the spell yet another one. If the target is a magician with Spell Matrices and is Wounded by the spell, an arahoroithra egg is implanted within one of their Spell Matrices as well. Only Shamans, Elementalists and Nethermancers will be able to actually cast the spell.

If the Arahoroithra isn’t given life by the spell actually being cast, it will slowly grow on its own at a rate of 1 life point per week. If the Spell Matrix is astrally examined, the construct is visible within.

• 0-5 life points: Egg. Any successful damage to the egg will kill the construct.
• 6-10 life points: Small trapdoor spider. The spider is harder to kill at this point but is too weak to retaliate.
• 11-14 life points: Large trapdoor spider. Attacking the spider at this point will cause it to leave the Spell Matrix and fight back. Use the stats for the Arahoroithra construct and subtract -1 from all its Steps for each life point below 15.
• 15+ The Arahoroithra is fully grown and leaves the Spell Matrix. The magician has a chance to reattune the Spell Matrix at this point – another casting will implant a new egg into the Spell Matrix, starting the process anew (including a new Horror Mark test if previous ones have failed). Successfully killing the gestating construct will provide similar circumstances.

[JetBlackJoe]

In my own campaign, this is how things got implemented.

While traveling through the Liaj Jungle on another errand, the players came upon what appeared to be an ancient and ruined temple. The temple was very old, definitely pre-Scourge, a simple construction made from stone and now overgrown with vines and other plant life. Inside, the walls were covered in murals depicting a story experienced by the people who built it.

• At first, one sees the people living in harmony and prosperity with the jungle. All is well.
• Then, the murals depict giant and foreign insects invading the jungle (these are of course depictions of the Invae). The spirits are hungry and invasive, causing great destruction and suffering both among the people and the jungle in general. Lots of suffering and death.
• The murals show the high shaman of the people contacting a great spider spirit (or so they though - this is of course Araneithrax). The spider spirit grants the shaman a magical gift - a great weapon with which he defeats the enemy. Victory at great cost.

In the centre of the temple is an ancient round stone tablet with magical runes carved into it. This is the Invoke Spider Pounce spell.

Shortly thereafter, the Shaman reached 2nd Circle and has learnt and attuned his new spell. What he doesn't know is that now, an Arahoroithra egg is slowly growing inside one of his Spell Matrices. Unless he tries to reattune the spell, it'll be a while before he notices it, since Matrix Sight isn't a Talent for Novice adepts - and even then, he'll only get the confusing message that reattuning the Spell Matrix is impossible.

Eventually the group will come to a kaer where they will be confronted with the Invae. Depending on whether the player has realized that he is breeding Horror constructs by then or not, I might have the Arahoroithra emerge from astral space and "help" them in their fight.

Will the players use one evil to battle another (Araneithrax basically doesn't care about Namegivers unless directly confronted), or will they recoil in terror when they realize they've been gestating evil monster spiders in their own Patterns?

[Slimcreeper]

Oh I like the infected spell matrix

[JetBlackJoe]

Oh I like the infected spell matrix

Me too! And that is, incidentally, how the idea started, and the rest got built on from there. I just loved the idea of some parasitic and infectious astral bugger taking over the Spell Matrices and possibly spreading from there. It made sense to make it a Horror construct, and thus I needed some Horror to have actually constructed them. Since I already had the Invae in my campaign, it made sense to go the full spider > insect route.

I think it will present some interesting choices to the players along the way. If the Invae infestations gets out of hand, how can they refuse using Araneithrax' minions against them? If no Namegivers are harmed in the process, feeding a Horror shouldn't matter ... right?