The Ancient Warrior

Semi-selective ask/RP blog for a Hollow Knight based OC. Sideblog to twin-branded, written by Nova.

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

“You have?” Neo echoed in surprise, his antennae flicking slightly in his startled curiosity. “Ah - yes, very significant. They were the first of the sapient races here, and until recently they were thought to be extinct.” He explained, gesturing vaguely as he contemplated the thought of somewhere that such a thing was not of significance. Then again, perhaps they hadn’t been the first people in other places?

“They created many notable works, both in terms of technology and magical artefacts.” He continued, though he warily eyed the thought-bereft creatures as they passed. “I’ve tried asking the recently rediscovered Roaches about their forebears, but a lot has been lost to time, and I was told that many of their records were lost when they crossed the Deadlands.” In all honesty, he was still impressed that they had survived a trip like that.

Though the caterpillar-like Inichas didn’t look like much, they were apparently rather aggressive. When the duo were near enough, about two of the creatures attempted a rolling attack in their direction, a Jellyshroom following in their wake with vague bored hostility.

Ah, that would explain the difference. There were so many mixed stories and such old history, much of the world had no clue who or what came first. Some kingdoms claimed multiple different sources, others didn’t even bother trying. Interesting they had a keen idea what sapient group first inhabited Bugaria. “Hm- props to you for actually keeping track of that. Can’t say I’ve seen many who knew the very first sapient groups in a given region.”

Though, any further thoughts on that would need to wait. Yet again the pair was interrupted by aggressive inhabitants of the den... Oh well. Galehaut still wasn’t quite keen on trying to hit the Jellyshroom in case it was more volatile than its rather apathetic expression told- but with the rolling Inichas, he had an idea. Setting down his axe, he braced himself and attempted to grab one of the rolling creatures as if it were a ball having been kicked at him. They were certainly small enough in comparison to be treated as such, before being slung at the Jellyshroom. 

The other would still ram into one of his legs, causing him to recoil that leg a bit and keep it off the ground. Far from a devastating attack- but it was instinct to keep limbs out of harm’s way nonetheless. He could still balance on seven for a moment as he readjusted, trying to step back and see where the aggressive little thing had rolled to after striking him. His vision was well enough, but compared to some other species tarantulas honestly didn’t have the sharpest eyes. 

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

Peering back at Galehaut, Neo rubbed the fluff at the back of his neck and offered up a sheepish smile. He’d forgotten that he hadn’t explained, that his new travelling companion wouldn’t have the context of all that had come before this. A little silly of him not to think of that, really - he hoped he hadn’t forgotten anything else of importance.

“Oh, ah, I’m expecting there to be some Roach ruins in here somewhere.” He responded, wondering whether Galehaut might know anything about the Roaches, or whether they were unknown where he came from. “A previous exploration brought back an artefact created by the old Roaches, so I’m hopeful that there may be more to discover here.”

Thankfully, though there was a bit of wobble to those stalks, they didn’t end up unable to handle Galehaut’s weight, and both bugs were able to safely cross. So far, no other foes had yet noticed them, but there were a few odd creatures in sight. A few looked like some kind of cross between jellyfish and mushrooms, cyclopic and apparently bored, while others resembled spikily armoured caterpillars, small and hostile in mien.

Roaches? Well he’d definitely seen some roaches in his time, but never really had any previous experience with them in terms of a considerable civilization of theirs. Some bugs were solo wanderers, some had some major colonies or kingdoms they hailed from, unless it was obvious he hadn’t ever bothered to question one’s origins... So, as for whether or not those he’d seen had anything to do with the roaches from Bugaria was questionable.

“Interesting.. I’ve seen roaches before, but never much looked into their origins or heard about a major faction involving them. I’m guessing they were fairly significant here though, if you’re taking the risk to come here and search for ruins.” At least now he had an idea he was looking for structures, rather than randomly scattered artifacts. He wasn’t an archaeologist, so he didn’t have the trained sort of gaze to know a lost trinket from a piece of pottery a few hundred years old. But he knew a worn down building when he saw one.

He kept an eye on the various creatures around them- weirdly enough, not the first time he could say he’d seen something akin to a jellyfish out of water. But given the last ones he saw had a tendency to violently explode, he was particularly wary of the fungal creatures. The caterpillar-like creatures not so much, comparatively they looked rather harmless. 

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​: 

The sound of that chitter was fairly reassuring, though Neo knew it would most likely be better if he were to remain alert. He could relax later, when the investigation was over. It didn’t seem as though anything was behind them yet, but that was likely to change the deeper they delved into the place.

As they were whacked with a hefty axe handle, the zombiants’ carapace buckled, their momentum thrown off by the impact. They tried to pull themselves back up to continue their attack, but the sweeping strike Galehaut lashed out with was enough to break them.

Now, the part of the cavern they were in was as quiet as it was blue-tinted, the sound of the river ahead all that remained ambient. It seemed as though some stalks had fallen down across the flowing water, which may have been what allowed the zombiants to cross this far. “That’s good to hear… I don’t actually know what else might be in here, but at least these weren’t too difficult…” Neo responded, still a little fretful but reassured now he couldn’t hear anything shambling about.

For now with the brief fight over, all seemed about as well and fine as it was going to get. Galehaut hefted the axe back over his shoulder, glancing back to Neolith for a moment before continuing on... The ambience of the place was.. Surprisingly pleasant, given they had just been engaged with the walking dead not several minutes ago. 

“I think as long as we stay vigilant, we’ll be just fine. But with a moment’s peace, and a look at this place.. It does make me wonder to ask. What do you expect to find in here, professor?” Well- Neolith was an archaeologist, so that partially answered some of it. Here to research old civilizations, find artifacts, that sort of thing. But who had been here previously..? Were the zombiants old inhabitants, or just the missing explorers mentioned before?

Maybe that was what he was trying to find out... Or maybe it was something completely different. Most he could do for now was continue along (particularly carefully on those stalks, given his weight) and wait for the moth’s answer. If he had one he felt like sharing anyways. For all he knew, they were just going to patter around and chance upon something random by luck- if anything at all. 

[novaearts]

Some gijinka content for Galehaut, also featuring one of his children!

[flaming-tropics]

Everyone keeps calling the ancient, horrifying nightmare cultists clowns and there will be consequences-

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

Neo couldn’t help a squeak as the impact made its mark, though unlike two of the zombiants, he wasn’t knocked to the ground. One of those was the closest, ineffectually scrabbling to get up. It might have managed it in a moment, like its fellow, if it hadn’t been cloven in two by the axe. Its fellows showed no signs of alarm at this event, though the nearest survivor did attempt to whip at the axe with the stalk of fungus sprouting from its head.

“I’ll keep watch, yes!” Neo was glad to have something actually of use that he could do, turning to face the way they’d come. Admittedly, there wasn’t much he could do about anything coming up behind them, unless papercuts might do the trick, but at least he could provide backup in the form of intel. “So far, we’re clear behind us as far as I can see.”

As Neo spoke, one of the zombiants tried to charge at Galehaut, head stalk thrashing. It seemed as though this was their primary mode of attack, but there was still opportunity to block the charge, one way or another. Still, it wasn’t alone, its fellow ‘survivor’ of sorts dashing in just a moment later.

Galehaut made a soft chitter in acknowledgement to Neo’s affirmation- considering how brutal he was in combat, a surprisingly calm noise. With the worry of being ambushed behind him, at this point, he was focused but relaxed. Not too worried about such small enemies, especially if their main means of assault was using that stalk like a whip. 

He lurched forward to meet in the middle with the charging zombiants- roughly bashing them with the handle of the axe. Keeping them at an even distance was crucial for his next move. Rearing up again, though more careful to put the momentum into a wide sweeping swing rather than into slamming the floor. Another clean, powerful strike to break down the remaining two undead. 

“Well.. If we can keep up this smoothly, we shouldn’t have much issue. Ants are rather easy to knock down.” At least when they were undead they were. Normally ants were amazingly powerful for their size, and well coordinated. But as mere husks, if he took a risk to get that up close.. Honestly.. He could probably punt them. That would be a bit funny to test. 

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

Neo’s musings on the nature of wherever it was that Galehaut was from and the magic that might be found there was somewhat interrupted by the pungent mix of scents, his antennae lowering. That was… somewhat unpleasant. “Well, there’ve long been cautionary tales about zombiants and similar lurking in this place. I believe Kabbu mentioned something about encountering them when I last spoke to him about the place, but I think he’d mentioned them being further in than this…” He probably should have mentioned that before, but he had been somewhat distracted, in his defence.

As he spoke, Neo could see something approaching. A group of what had once been ants, maybe even previous explorers who’d braved the place only to meet with their ends. From each of the shambling trio’s heads, a fungal shoot had burst. Cordyceps. For some reason, though, it didn’t seem capable of producing spores.

“It doesn’t look as though their structural integrity is great…” Neo mused, warily remaining firmly behind Galehaut as he peeked over at the creatures. “I doubt they could stand up to too many hits. It’s likely numbers that’d make them dangerous, but there’s only three right here.”

“Zombiants..?” He was about to question what the hell that was supposed to be, until the undead trio got within clear vision. Ah. Husks, of some form- that made a lot more sense. Well, especially with clear cordyceps involved, he wasn’t going to be taking any chances- keep them at a distance. Galehaut reared up to his backmost sets of legs, before landing back down hard. 

The ground slightly shook with the motion, hopefully to keep the zombiants unsteady as he lunged and took a swing at them with the axe. His reach was enough to hit the closest of them, cleaving into the comparatively small husk. But with a two handed weapon, he couldn’t quite swing far enough to hit all of them at once. Not unless they were closer than he wanted them to be, or swinging broadly enough to leave himself vulnerable. 

Galehaut was a touch worried about having something come up behind them if this was already an unpredicted situation... But for now, he was keeping his eyes on the current and obvious husks. Most important rule of combat; never take one’s eyes off the enemy. He had Neolith behind him, so he wasn’t likely to be blind-sided. “I’d consider this manageable- but do me a favor and keep an eye out for anything trying to flank us as we proceed. Unlike some other spiders, my field of vision is rather limited to what’s ahead of me.”

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

It was kind of surreal, to hear Galehaut describing his magic as nothing grand, especially considering the last bug he knew of who had been able to use fiery magic. What kind of place was the fellow from, that this was something seemingly unimportant to him? “From where I’m standing, that’s still fairly incredible.” Neolith admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Magic’s not a common ability to harness here.” What must it be like, to see such things so regularly?

When the tarantula motioned for him to follow, Neo readily obliged, nodding a little. “Already intended to, thank you. I’m not really a fighter, just an academic.” Admittedly, it probably would be a good idea to learn some self defence, but even then it would hardly be holding a candle to whatever someone so large, magical and axe-wielding could bring to the table. Or was it bring to the arena, if the context was battle?

As they headed into the cave, though the setting seemed cheerful in hue, there was a distinctly fungal aroma, hints of decay lacing the air. In particular, oleic acid, a scent unfortunately associated with dead ants. However, something was moving, approaching at a shuffle.

The general lack of magic use in this area was definitely food for thought. Bugaria certainly wasn’t the only place like that- but overall it should be kept in mind. Helpful here, but if he did end up exploring further he probably shouldn’t use it too much. Just being a tarantula alone was going to get him more attention than he likely wanted, whether Neolith was there to vouch for his decency or not. No need to make extra fuss with magic in public...

Carrying on, the general atmosphere heralded caution, keeping his pace moderately slow. He wasn’t particularly fond of catching a fungal aroma or oleic acid first thing- of course finding dead bugs wasn’t going to surprise or scare him.. But that was a specific and pungent mix of things in the air. Now, fungus normally mixed with decay, but how many dead bugs were here to make it such an easily noticeable scent just getting into the cave? 

... Or maybe it was proximity rather than amount. The fur on his abdomen stood on end with the approaching shuffle- a first instinct to be ready to kick off irritating hairs at any potential threats. But.. For now not needed, probably. He shifted to hold the axe in both hands, preferring to just have it ready for whatever was coming their way. “Any chance you happen to know why this place reeks of death and fungus, professor?”

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

The gradual way Galehaut moved did help a fair bit. Though he had grasped the idea of a sapient tarantula with both hands, there remained some residual nerves that didn’t need to be set off afresh. Fishing out paper and pen from his belt pouches, he hummed a little as he nodded. “Oh, understandable, particularly as they’d probably send the more experienced explorers, like Team Maki or Team Snakemouth.”

It was definitely a good idea to ensure they were prepared - even a gigantic spider could benefit from a bit of caution, and it was reassuring to discover that Galehaut practised what he preached where the value of fear for instilling caution was concerned. The professor’s breath caught as he witnessed the feat of magic, though, astounded.

“Oh! Are you a mage?” He asked, the scurrying of his pen over paper pausing. It wasn’t often that sort of gift surfaced - at least, not here. Maybe it was more frequent where Galehaut was from? Perhaps there might be a higher crystal concentration - or the crystals more crushed and intermingled with the soil, allowing greater coverage? Hard to say. Fishing a small sample jar out of his belt, he stuffed the note into it and left it next to the nearest rock. Now any rain wouldn’t soak away the message. “Whenever you feel we’re ready, then…”

Slinging the axe up over his shoulder, Galehaut slightly canted his head. Was magic such an oddity here? The professor seemed shocked, enough to even stop writing for a moment. Granted not all bugs could use magic for certain, some being more adept at it naturally than others, and gods or higher beings having a different level of casting all together... But it wasn’t too weird to see bugs harness soul or arcane magic in most regions he was familiar with.

“A mage? Well.. Not really. I think mages would more be considered as those who frequently use magic day-to-day, and are more explicitly use spells in combat. I am capable of some magic, but it’s nothing grand. Most I use it for is weapon summoning or heating said weapon so it burns opponents as well.”

He waited for Neolith to finish writing and placing the note, before making a gesture for the moth to follow him inside. “Lets get moving, shall we? I suggest staying behind me if we get into any fights.” In part, he somewhat doubted anything around here was going to pick a fight with a grown tarantula. But best stay on guard.. He wasn’t particularly familiar with the region. Lots of things liked hiding in dark caves, genuine threats like centipedes, nosks, or void beasts could easily be in the shadows.

... Granted even Snakemouth Den looked a little too vibrant and colorful for something like a void beast to be skulking around. Bugaria wasn’t anything like the Wastelands used to be.

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

Oh! While the professor hadn’t been quite sure whether it would be polite to ask, he wasn’t about to turn down a freely offered shot at his investigation. Not to mention, his chances of coming out of it unscathed might actually be quite a bit higher for being in the company of a gigantic awakened spider rather than a couple of wet behind the antennae explorers.

Offering Galehaut a bright smile, his posture lifting a little, Neolith nodded at once. “Oh, I’d be glad to, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble!” He realised after a moment, though, that the fellow might not actually know what sort of place this was. It would surely be polite to at least tell him. “There are some aggressive unawakened bugs and ancient puzzles in there, from what I’ve been told. It’s not as dangerous as it used to be, though.”

It was… well, it was quite fair to be concerned about stirring up trouble by accident, all things considered. “Perhaps I ought to leave a note here, in case someone comes back and thinks the worst finding me absent? I wouldn’t wish to be the cause of a bad reputation - and perhaps I could vouch for you?”

Well.. Ancient for Neolith may not actually be so ancient for him- it would be interesting to test that theory. He was a bit slow to shift and raise back up off the ground, more so for not scaring Neolith rather than anything else. Galehaut stretched for a moment, though keeping his eyes on Neolith and continuing to listen. That.. Probably would be wise, so there wasn’t the likely assumption of the professor having been eaten after being left all alone with a tarantula of all things.

“That would be wise- considering circumstances, they’re likely to come back here with more explorers, see you missing, and assume you dead. Leaving a note would be helpful.. But I will be watchful as we go in, just in case they don’t believe it and come inside Snakemouth Den anyways. I’d rather not be ambushed.”

The thought of him vouching for Galehaut was at least comforting. He did seem rather open to the idea of the Troupe, and was willing to actually stay and try speaking rather than running away.. Hopefully that would prove for the better if anything did happen to go wrong. “While you do that, I’ll make sure we’re prepared to actually go inside.” By we’re prepared, he more just meant himself- not really expecting Neo to fight. Scarlet flame briefly wisped between his hands, before bursting and sizzling down to reveal a large battle axe. Much easier to summon it when needed than haul the damn thing around. 

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

“I must say, there’s certainly sense in that.” Neo mused thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “It doesn’t do to become complacent, nor to think one’s above all the world can throw in to make a pickle of things. That way can lead to unpleasantness.” Not necessarily only towards oneself, either. That kind of mindset could get those around one into all sorts of trouble, sometimes not so accidentally.

“Oh, exploring? I can certainly see how that would appeal - I must admit, you’ve caught me at a similar pursuit, though not quite so novel.” The professor responded, spreading his hands as he spoke. “I was heading into Snakemouth Den, to see whether there might be any undiscovered relics waiting there.” Alas, he wasn’t really equipped to go in without backup, but the den wasn’t going anywhere.

Pausing at this new information, he took a moment to digest it, a more sombre expression crossing his features. “Oh… I’m sorry to hear that…” Had something happened to them, or were they perhaps growing reclusive like the roaches who remained? “I wasn’t aware that unawakened could revert to being the default after awakening had begun…” That was rather unsettling, actually.

Well at least Neolith seemed to understand the purpose behind the Grimm Troupe- Galehaut could easily list countless who didn’t. Fearing them to a point of hatred and malicious intent... He was not a guardian for no reason, there were many who wished the Nightmare King dead. But that was a foolish effort- none could destroy the Heart anyway, and so long as it beat, the flame would burn, and the Troupe Master would be reborn. A hellish phoenix of scarlet flame and terror, in nearly every sense immortal. As long as there is fear in the world, that primordial instinct to make one's veins turn to ice, his dance is eternal.

But he was getting a bit lost in thought, wasn’t he? His attention drew back to Neolith as the moth spread his hands, and he squinted a bit. Searching for relics in a cave? Was there more in this place..? He had just been taking the entrance as a good place for shade- never quite bothering to go inside just yet. Perhaps Neolith being brave enough to stick around without the exploration team would pay off.. Galehaut was here to explore after all, and a trip through an odd cave sounded more entertaining than dealing with a crowd of bugs in the middle of the day. 

Not that terrifying the entire settlement wouldn’t be funny, though. He was just a bit tired to deal with the likely presence of other, more brave explorers from the mentioned guild... “Well, your little explorers may have ditched you.. But given I’m also here to explore, perhaps we can go in together, Professor? Given I am one of very few left- I don’t feel like terrifying your whole little settlement and likely starting a fight. I’d best investigate at night.. And we have a few hours until sundown anyway, I believe.”

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

“The Grimm Troupe? Do you specialise in more macabre performances, then, or am I misunderstanding? It’s certainly a theme that’d stand out.” Somehow, the feel of the name was… similar to the feeling of another name of some significance - but perhaps that was because it sounded a similar sort of dramatic to the Everlasting Sapling. Well, a bit more on the spooky side, but even so. It was probably just his imagination.

“There are?” Neolith’s interest peaked at the mention of other spiders being awakened, his excitement overtaking his dread. “Oh - if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, do you think you could tell me about them?” At some point or another, he had taken pen and paper out of his belt pouches to write with. “Perhaps there may be more awakening on the horizon? Oh, that would be fascinating to observe…”

Realising he may have gone a little off on one, he paused, rubbing his neck fluff sheepishly. “Ah, I forgot to ask, what brings you to Bugaria? I hope nothing’s the matter.” Perhaps it was pessimistic to wonder if wherever Galehault had come from was in trouble, but a lot of the prominent visits they’d had in recent history had been fairly… tumultuous.

“We do, we’re frightening on purpose. Just as everything else, a healthy dose of fear is good for you... Those with no fear usually wind up dead. Too bold, to reckless, no survival instinct to see something bad and feel that inherent fear of danger. There’s a time and a place for it, we serve as a reminder of that.” As much as many despised the nightmare cult for bringing about fear and nightmares on purpose, Galehaut was being blunt and honest. Dreams and Nightmares both held an important role, despite the bad reputation it gave them. 

Though, with Neolith’s curiosity about other spiders.. He wasn’t too sure what to say. He’d been around long enough to see plenty- but he got the feeling this one had the wrong idea. It wasn’t that spiders were just coming around as awakened bugs... More like a few were still persisting. Should he tell him, or let him keep that innocent hope..? Ah, well- if he was an archaeologist, he’d dig up the past until he found the truth somewhere anyway. Might as well.

“Hm? No, no- I just came here to explore. Stretch my legs some, see some new things... It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a completely unfamiliar region.” If anything, before dropping some unfortunate news at least he could be somewhat reassuring. “But.. As for other spiders, you seem to have it a touch backwards. There may be some new ones... But mostly- what’s left are those who’ve persisted in scattered populations from the past. Some are doing fine, others are dwindling, or none remain as awakened bugs at all. It depends on where you look.”

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

“I think this may have been one of the first quests they accepted.” Neo admitted after a moment, rubbing the fluff at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I only know a few of the explorers personally, so I’m not too sure.” He certainly didn’t appreciate being left high and dry, but he was prepared to at least give them a little benefit of the doubt for the time being.

Trying to smooth down the fluff that had puffed up when he’d been startled, though he kept his gaze firmly on the spider, he brightened at the polite greeting. “Oh - well met, Galehaut.” He responded, figuring it was probably a good idea to respond in kind. “What Troupe do you mean, if I may ask? I’m afraid the only spiders in these parts are, well… they aren’t awakened bugs, and ah… all are considerably smaller than yourself…”

What sort of Troupe could he mean? From his words, fear was somehow implicit with the word, but he’d not run into clear mention of something like that, at least not that he could recall. Was that a troupe of spiders perhaps? Perhaps other arachnids as well, given Galehaut’s wording?

As he suspected- Neolith had no idea who he was walking about, and it seemed here was about as bad as the rest of the world for the state of arachnids.. If not worse, if all of them were like that. At least it confirmed some things about this region without needing to take time to pry about for the information. Less effort and less needing to go find a bug to talk to about it...

“The Grimm Troupe. Normally our presence is rather frightening to most, being associated with nightmares and fear... Although so long as no one actively tries to attack us, we’re about as harmless as any other travelling Troupes that may be out there.” Normally he wouldn’t have even strayed from the rest of them- but, while they were safely snuggled away in a dead kingdom, there wasn’t really anything to protect them from. Bandits, maybe? But the Grimmkin could handle that, as could the Troupe Master himself. 

“Hm.. About as I expected. There are smaller spiders awakened in other regions, but generally arachnids aren’t as common in terms of awakened bugs. Nothing new there.” Always a bit disheartening to come to a new region and confirm there weren’t any others like him.. But never a surprise. He wasn’t here to search for others anyway- just to get some fresh air, new scenery. 

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

Oh- so this spider did talk! Neo nearly sagged in relief - but he did know that even those who spoke could be unfriendly, naturally, it would be best to not make hasty assumptions. “Oh, ah, I don’t actually know them all that well, but I’m certainly going to bring it up with the Explorers’ Association.” If he were able to return there, that was. Still, bringing up that there were people who knew where he was besides the pair who’d turned out to be a bit too easily spooked might be a good idea.

“May I ask who you are..?” He attempted, cautious and watching Galehaut’s every move, but nonetheless offering a smile in spite of his fear. “I’m Professor Neolith, an archaeologist.” He could have mentioned to whom he was in service, but he didn’t know whether that might prompt holding him for ransom, so perhaps that ought to wait until he knew he was in at least relatively less danger.

Despite the fear, excitement had begun to rise within him, setting wings to lightly flutter. This could well be the very first awakened spider - and if so, he was witnessing history firsthand! Actually, even if that assumption proved incorrect, it would also be fascinating to hear about other awakened spiders - so long as he didn’t get himself killed, it was win-win!

An archaeologist? Was it something with the profession that made them so skittish? He could recall a sunspider archaeologist who was practically scared of his own shadow a long, long time ago... Eh, not that it mattered too much. Really Neolith was a touch impressive, being braver than apparent explorers in the face of potentially grave danger. He’d give the moth credit for that at least.

“They must not be able to explore very far if they run at the first sign of any danger.” He was entertained, though it didn’t particularly show in expression or tone- if anything, between having fangs hiding any normal mouth and fur mostly hiding his face, reading an expression was near impossible. “Hm.. My name is Galehaut. Well met, Professor Neolith, well met.” 

Little did Neolith know, he had the wrong side of the spectrum- he was not the first awakened spider.. But.. Perhaps the last awakened tarantula. There were other, smaller varieties of spiders recalling the Weavers at least, among some scattered others, but none of his kind. If there were any others left, he wasn’t aware. Oddly fitting, an archaeologist would find a living relic of a bug to speak with. “I would assume you all aren’t quite familiar with arachnids here, given I cannot recall the Troupe’s presence here in the past... And yet at least for those two, first impulse was to run in terror.”

[flaming-tropics]

mothprofessorneolith​:

If he was quite honest with himself, Neo didn’t really find the prospect of visiting Snakemouth Den nearly so intimidating as he had before the latter stages of the search for the Sapling. Perhaps he should still have been more cautious, but the lure of historical discovery was strong. After all, if there had been an artefact of such significance there, surely there might be other finds associated with it?

He hadn’t been the only one emboldened - now that Team Snakemouth had been in and out of the place a few times, it didn’t seem as deadly. He’d been able to request the aid of a couple of explorers for safety’s sake. They had both fled at the sight of the giant, hairy spider, however, the pair clearly not made of stern enough stuff for this.

Neolith should really have run too, he knew, the fear surging through his haemolymph like ice, but he was rooted to the spot. However, eyes wide, he noticed something that could be crucial - the upper body of the spider was like that of an awakened bug, unlike any other spider he had ever heard of. Drawing a shaky breath, he took a chance and spoke up. “…Hello..?”

The commotion of the two recruited explorers fleeing was certainly not missed. If anything, that caught Galehaut’s attention more than the passive footsteps of the group, considering how many tiny things were skittering around already. Turning himself to looking and see what had begun to approach before scurrying away, admittedly... He was a touch surprised, seeing one lone little moth. Emphasis on little- he was used to being quite large, but not quite dwarfing what seemed to be a grown moth like that.

Granted, moths did tend to be a particularly varied group- some had wingspans larger than he was, and others he could’ve easily picked up in one hand. Either way this one looked understandably terrified. Odd how he didn’t run like the others seemed to have, preferring to strike up conversation. Oh well.

Neolith got a slightly amused chitter, followed with the surprise of a rather deep voice- well, he wasn’t some feral beast if he could talk. “Not particularly loyal friends there, it would seem. Didn’t even try to drag you with them...” Thankfully for this moth’s luck, he wasn’t the type to be needlessly aggressive. Rather than rear up or charge at him, the tarantula actually settled some, drawing his legs in toward himself and resting.

[flaming-tropics]

{ @mothprofessorneolith }

Ah, a pleasure to see some form of greenery in the world again, even if things were far from how they began. Admittedly travelling with a mostly nocturnal Troupe didn’t leave the tarantula moving about in daylight much, but it was nice to be able to see things in proper color. Galehaut had heard this new region was dotted by smaller, though in some cases particularly advanced kingdoms- seeming to spend most of their time on technology rather than magic or territories. 

Given he had come here to stretch his legs and explore rather than being drawn by the ruin of a kingdom, it did seem to work for them. There was a subtle wonder of what the bugs inhabiting Bugaria would be like with that in mind.. Though not being a social butterfly so to speak, it wasn’t a priority to investigate. More so, for now, he kept to the outskirts of the Ant Kingdom, closer to a large cave... Snakemouth, was it called? Something like that, though he didn’t quite recall what a “snake” was anymore. A bit unsure if he wanted to head in and wait for nightfall to explore the settlements in peace and quiet, or continue as he was.

[flaming-tropics]

Starter call!

// Feel free to like, comment, or reblog for a starter!