User Tools
Sidebar
Three old women knocked on the estate’s grand doors one stormy night a decade ago and asked for shelter from the driving rain. Araig ordered them to find an inn before slamming the door, unaware that the trio was the Sisters of Indulgent Dreams—a coven of night hags in service to Duke Lotheed and the Immaculate Circle— on their way to the Palace of Birdsong. The coven burst through the doors and declared that Baron Telus should have a form to match his verminous, lowly soul before disappearing back into the night. Araig thought little of the incident, unaware that the old women were anything but what they appeared, but over the coming weeks he grew increasingly disturbed: hiding in corners, chewing at insects, and becoming obsessed with weaving. Those servants who could left, and those who could not did everything they could to appease their increasingly eccentric master. After a year, Araig’s skin began to slough off, revealing, bruised, stubbly flesh and claws beneath, beginning his transformation from handsome human baron into a prince of spider
Baron Araig Telus spent almost a decade sealed within his room, escaping on occasion only to be tracked down by his former servants and sealed away once more. Once a decent—if out of touch—man, he hungered constantly for flesh and found human thoughts harder and harder to form. While he once felt guilt for the lives he took and the people he devoured, he eventually felt only hunger and a need to hunt and outwit his prey.
Already a powerful sorcerer, Araig was effectively transformed into an ettercap by a hag ritual that functioned as a major curse spell, requiring a break enchantment spell to overcome, which was outside the Tribunes power. Araig spent most of his time in a large web on the ceiling between the four pillars. If disturbed, he used ventriloquism to throw his voice into his nest, demanding to know who dares disturb “the spider prince.” There was no right answer here; as he planed to eat intruders no matter what, but he rarely gets to talk to anyone and wanted to know what’s become of his delicious citizens. The players were able to kill the monster and at least free the soul from its curse.
