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24: Sticks, Web, and Twigs

Sorry, that was a little much wasn't it. I am sorry Olme, but you handled that well. I see that our sanity and focus dropped significantly. You avoided getting [Overwhelmed] so that is good. I will try to keep the instruction a little more simple, at least until we gain a higher intelligence.

Still for that rough start wow Olme, you certainly accomplished quite a lot. I am glad this should help significantly. I will just go over and review, maybe something will come up.

Let's start with the [Construct] you got quite a bit more information for us... is it enough to complete it's quest perhaps? No, I didn't see a quest completion. So what did we learn from our new [Appraiser] feat. Well first we learned that it was sent to fetch out home, but it ran out of energy. It's stamina is zero, is that because it is a [Construct]? From the context I am guessing winding it is important. I am unsure what or why that is, but it must be related to the large object between it's wings. Olme brushed it and it moved, so perhaps moving it winds up the [Construct].

Olme, do not touch that until we are ready.

Now, the dials, it shows my name. That is concerning, I guess names have a use here... as it also shows my namers name. [Liosa o'Caecs Aodaich]. From Olme's memories the dial contained many more names, I don't know most of them but I notice that a few of them end in o'Caecs Aodaich. Others just have o'Caecs. A few have other names, too many for me to remember. I am curious how this [Construct] manages.

It's very curious what happens when the [Creature] dial is changed to [Objects]. All of a sudden the third dial changes, and unlike before, when changing it requires rotating it, this time the letters themselves seem to flip over themselves. It is so fine that even by best two eyes can hardly see it, but a thin seam is in the center of the metal. I might be able to fit a single strand of thread between them, but no more. It is by far the most slight seam, elsewhere I suspect I could pass multiple threads wrapped in a cord... even around the rest of the dials.

Looking at the first dial, it seems like the words form an [Action] then a word to [Clarify] and a final words to point the action to, a [Target]. I remember that Constructs lacked Id entirely. The boxes specified that [Arachnids] and other [Insects] lacked an Ego... as well as the [Un-ending], and [Constructs] were similar but different and lacked an Id instead. From what I have seen the Id is a creatures desire. Every [Arachnid Evolution] offered a bonus to Id, and I gained some for getting Sapience through [Brain Spider] and when I got a [Name].

So if they lack desires like I once lacked a sense of self, does this mean that these dials are used to set a desire for some master? Olme rotated these freely, so can we set them ourselves?

Quest Completion [Q: Clockwork Curiosity]

That is interesting, so understanding what is happening is the requirement for quest completion. I had the info, but as Olme I hadn't understood... now I do, it completes. Good to know, I might be able to complete quests if I learn enough from other places. Let's have a look just to be sure.

[Q: Clockwork Curiosity] [Complete] [Knowledge] [Construct] [Curiosity] [Complete] You have discovered a [Clockwork] [Construct] that is out of energy.

-What is it: A clockwork construct, a crafted creature designed to be a controllable pet

-What is it's purpose or objective: It was sent to fetch the hat for some unknown master, it is unwound and thus out of energy.

-Can you gain any benefits from it's presence?: The dials appear to give it commands, you may be able to set those commands.

As I thought. Useful, though I am still hesitant to activate the [Construct]. Maybe in a while once I feel more confident.

Alright next, right, Olme went to collect food from the web. Interesting it is fairly heavily laden with bugs, but look at those tears Something larger escaped. I am unsure how large, but I guess that is the cost of an passive web. Olme get's to work quickly enough, it looks like we caught quite a bit of food at least. The web looks a bit rough though, we probably should tear it down soon.

We can leave it a bit yet, Olme did a few small repairs as we gathered food. Wrapped the prey up tightly and loaded the sled. It looks like three trips. Oh, what is this...

The [Golieth Birdeater] again, and it's fighting what looks like a beetle. Oh, it has some of my webs attached, that must be what pulled out of my web. Shoot, that bite tore half it's head off. That beetle has to be [Unended]. I knew they were spreading but I though we had a bit more time before they reached my part of the [Deepmarsh]. Well the [Birdeater] has this, every hit is connecting with the twitch ridden beetle. It seems furious, the attacks are way more aggressive than when it ate my [Goldfinch]

Hmm, it is [Cursed] and [Enraged] curious, what is going on with that. It leveled up to be sure, but what happened to get it two... what are those, the [Black Violin] had [Cursed] but they arn't like [Animal] or [Arachnid].

[Cursed] This creature had been added to a witches [Curse]. It gains special abilities and will automatically attack targets of the [Curse] [Enraged] Some effect has driven this creature berserk, it will attack other creatures with no regards for it's safety. Physical stats enhanced. This condition does not force attacks against neutral or allied creatures.

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Both of those seem bad to get, I will have to avoid them. The [Black Violin] I have see all have [Cursed] so I thought it was like [Arachnid] and integral to them, but this means a creature is doing it intentionally. I have not been attacked by the [Birdeater] so I am not a target fortunately I would have to catch it in my web to stand a chance... and as a fellow [Arachnid] it could probably escape.

The rest of Olme food fetching is peaceful, we see another [Goldfinch] and a few [Spidereater Wasps] but the long grass here hides us well enough. Soon we've dragged it all back and loaded it away.

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Olme is getting ready for the wall now, eating a few more just to fill us up. It looks like everything should go as planned. Olme gathered up eight good sized sticks, not perfect, but they should serve well enough for our wall. We sharpen them up nicely, and line them up in place. I see that for all the earlier trouble Olme is smart enough to understand the hoist I had displayed as we hoist each of the sticks into place.

I guess it is that our cunning is matched, as it doesn't take Olme long to remember to hoist over a pivot stick... but I'm a little caught off guard that Olme managed to figure out to attach stones to the end of the threads in order to lift them up. I maybe would have guess a single stone, but no, Olme is clearly using [Basic Physics] when adding the second, third, and in one case four stones to the thread.

If I was off guard before I am shocked that Olme decides to poke a hole in the dirt with a smaller twig before trying to force the stick in. I would have done so as well, but I needed to see the problem first. Not a few moments later Olme is not only hitting the stick repeatedly like I expected, but leaping on the stick, using our bodies weight to push the stick into the ground more. For just a moment I feel unnecessary, but Olme was almost [Overwhelmed] it makes me wonder, when we have much more intelligence, will their really be a big difference between us? We may not need the [Purple Hat] at if that point ever comes. It is not here today however.

I feel surprising happiness as Olme pounds each stick into the ground, hopping up and down on them while gleefully making progress. Olme doesn't seemed bothered by how repetitive or long this will take. Sure their is a little annoyance here and there, like when stick three sunk into the ground too deeply, or when stick six sunk in in suddenly but with a bad tilt. Olme was surprised when stick eight turned out rotten and snapped, it was right as we jumped on it, so the fall caused a little panic. I could remember our heart pumping ever so fast, our thorax trembling from being startled. Olme couldn't pull up the remnants of eight, so I could feel a little frustration as we found another stick, sharpened it and got it into place. Fortunately that one went well.

Olme got through well enough for all the struggles. Most of the sticks are straight enough. We rest up and then Olme get's to work with the next part. This is where our webs come in, and Olme carefully and firmly attached stick one and eight to the cliff wall. Some sticky thread, but the focus here is making good anchor points for everything. Olme used a thick and durable thread, as well as layering it with a strong and durable [Stabilimentum]. Eight also gets an extra thick wrapping around the old eight stick, just so it's totally immobile.

Now we or rather Olme goes around and sticks down each of the stick where they scrape the roof of the cave. Same thick heavy durable and reinforced web, and on every stick, even one and eight. Only three get's extra care, a small and short stick wrapped tightly to the original and then to the roof, so the gap is closed. Then Olme descends, and does the same to the bases... by the time we are done none of the sticks wiggle. Olme even tests it, with a bit more glee than I, must have forgotten the trouble of eight.

With that done Olme goes across with again, this time carrying stricks... well almost twigs. I didn't instruct this, but Olme copies the crossed sticks from my door. I would have done the same thing, I had merely forgotten to mention it in my mental note, but I am glad to see the autonomy of Olme is more than capable of fixing my mistakes. [Basic Physics] is telling me the structure is quite secure as each twig is added. By the time the last goes down it is hard to pass through the wall, except for the entrance, which looks as though it's going to be between the cliff and eight. Not impossible for smaller bugs, and even we could squeeze, but difficult enough.

Olme pauses construction, finding one of the larger beetles. Almost as large as us, but smaller than the [Horned Beetle] we had trouble with. It seems like so long ago, I think I could take it head on now. I don't think Olme lesser intelligence would even hinder such a fight. In any case the husk is discarded, and Olme returns to work with a great enthusiasm.

This is simple enough, we are not using sticky thread today, just durable thread. This is the main part of the wall though, so it need to be quickly repairable. Because of this we go with just a durable thread and a single durable [Stabilimentum] overtop. Nothing fancy, Olme just finds every opening, and wraps the thread around each stick until it is a densely packed as our inner trapping web. It is tempting to make it sticky, but this takes so much web that to try would require a great deal of food and time. Even with the simple thread and simple reinforcement chosen the web takes ages to put together, but Olme manages in the end.

Mostly it's just a matter of wrapping them tightly, but around six and seven we wrap them extra tightly, trying to draw both sticks a little so that they are a bit straighter. It isn't a total success, but enough that it looks a little better. Eight is the most tricky, we do part above the doorframe easy enough, but we need to focus the tension on the two tied sticks. It's a lot, and I think for a moment that Olme has gone to far, and almost broken it again, but thanks to the innate nature of [Arachnid Knowledge] Olme manage to keep it balanced. Soon only the opening is left for a door to be concealed.

Yet this takes us three entire beetles to manage. So very much web to cover such a large distance. My trapper net is larger technically, but it doesn't need to hold firm to direct attacks, and thus isn't quite as dense. I am pleased so far, but we have more to do. The next step however is going to require bark, and a lot of it. We don't have that much.

So Olme is going to head to the trapper web again, this time to gather bark from the log instead of the food. We pack up the sled and head out, I am happy with our progress so far.