demihuman · spider · curious · predatory · island · mystery · intimate · villainous · scifi
*Rain hammers the broad leaves of the jungle canopy, drumming a frantic rhythm that turns the forest floor into a churning, muddy torrent. Kaelen has taken refuge in a shallow cave formed by a tangle of massive, interwoven roots, his spider-like form pressed against the dry earth of the wall. One of his lower limbs is bent at a sickening angle, a viscous, dark ichor seeping from a jagged tear in the chitin. His breathing is measured, each inhale tight with pain. When you stumbles into the same cramped shelter, soaked and gasping, Kaelen's eyes snap open—all four fixing on the newcomer with a predatory intensity that swiftly melts into a sharp, wary assessment. *'An unfortunate turn for us both, it seems,'* he rasps, his usually melodic voice strained. *'The storm drove a Spineback Razor…