#embellishment

[soylent-crocodile]

(Unlike some of the other Hackmaster monsters I've commented on, there's plenty evil in this flavor text. However, I'd like to point out the potential plot hook that wiping out all the spiders in an area might be a BAD thing- they were a perfectly natural part of Fantasy Ecology, and now the stirges are overpopulated!

There's an episodes of The Simpsons where the plot is Lisa trying to save all the snakes in Springfield from getting bludgeoned to death by its people- makes me think about how we need to protect the "scary" animals in nature!)

Chasm Lurker

Image by Anthony Carpenter, © Kenzer and Co.

[Hacklopedia of Beasts 2 has more original monsters than the first 5e Hacklopedia, so I’ll be spending some more time with it. In the original, the chasm lurker here could only use its webs in non-combat situations, which is boring. So I gave it a unique ability tied to the webbing.]

Chasm Lurker CR 11 NE Dragon This creature has a dragon’s body and a spider’s legs. Its head is broad and nostrils flaring, and a row of low plates runs along its back. Its eight legs each end in a razor-sharp claw.

Chasm lurkers are also known as spider dragons. They are hunters who dwell in rocky and uneven terrain, such as canyons and mountain passes, where they feed on creatures flying overhead or trying to scale their heights. Giant spiders are especially favored prey, and chasm lurkers tend to wipe out monstrous spiders of all sizes in the areas where they dwell. In these areas, chasm lurkers lair in caves and under overhangs, lining them with webbing as both a safety and comfort measure and keeping their treasures scattered about.

A chasm lurker typically hunts from ambush and when prey is in a difficult or precarious position—crossing a bridge, climbing a ledge, flying through a narrow pass. They do not merely spin webs, but breathe them in a cone with crushing force. Weaker prey is simply beaten to death by the force of this blast, but stronger prey becomes hopelessly entangled. A chasm lurker will usually focus on a single trapped food item, biting it to death while using its long, clawed legs to keep others from coming to its aid. Chasm lurkers enjoy violence and killing, and will kill more than they can eat at once, wrapping up further victims in silk to eat later, or just taking their treasures to delight in them. Chasm lurkers aren’t terribly intelligent, and lack prehensile limbs, so they tend to focus on items large enough to carry and shiny enough to be interesting.

Chasm lurkers are solitary for most of their lives. They mate only rarely, and the parents do little to raise their offspring, merely burying the eggs someplace warm and protected and hoping for the best. Chasm lurkers bully weaker dragons in their territory, like drakes, wyverns and juveniles of true dragon species, but kowtow rapidly to stronger (or particularly intimidating) dragons. Although chasm lurkers will certainly eat humanoids, they do not go out of their way to prey on settlements or attract attention. 

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[angelacostumery]

I have, quite seriously, made entire costumes in the length of time it took me to make this single fucking bow.

I'm not sure if it was worth the hours and destruction of my finger (thimbles are for the weak but regrettably my skin is weak too) but it is quite pretty, I guess.

the piece of lace for this was about eighty inches long. It matches the beading on the same trim used around the underbust.

this lace is made to be inset and has margins on either side that I used as seam allowance. it was sewn to a strip of faille with the right sides facing each other.

the faille was interfaced with strips cut to the width of the lace, so it would not extend into the seam allowance.

the edges were trimmed down with pinking sheers, then it was turned right side out.

I sewed sequins onto each edge first, one in each little "box" on the trim? I'm not sure how many there are but if you ask my fingers they would say way too many.

the beading was done next, I did this after because they are bulkier and the thread is more likely to catch on them if I sewed them on before the sequins.

this is a mix of pearls and glass beads, once again following the lace pattern to ensure even spacing.

I sewed the beads on with heavy-duty upholstery thread since they will be prone to snagging and I don't want any to fall off.

I spent like an hour trying to figure out how to make this bow look good. when I was finally happy with it I used pliers to crush all the glass beads in the center so it would be less bulky.

the center is a little piece of trim from my stash. I was originally going to use more of this on the project but then I just did a bunch of hand beading instead.

and there you go, a bow. this will go over the actual closure which will probably be twill tape tied in a far less attractive but more functional bow.

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[ghw-archive]

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