Ybalue looked over their newly formed party and grinned. Getting together a party of adventurers to undertake a quest could be difficult at times, but luckily this area was quite popular with them, and so it only took a day or so to find some teammates for the quest. And what a party it was, too! Search and Rescue missions weren’t usually their strong suit, as they were far more suited to beating monsters up, but they’d found the perfect people for it. Jasa the Hunter would be great at tracking where the missing adventurers had gone, and at ensuring they didn’t get lost in the cave. His brother Ekob, a rogue, would be perfect for dealing with traps and helping scout ahead. And he wasn’t quite sure what Goddess Bethel worshipped, but Clerics were usually good at healing, which would be great in case the missing adventurers needed it! Yeah, this would go great! They waved the others to follow them.

“Come on, let’s go! This’ll be a piece of cake!”

They heard Bethel and Jasa saying something, but it probably wasn’t something they needed to care about. Everyone always told them not to rush ahead, but there were potentially people dying down there! Being fast was incredibly important, and besides, if they got hurt Bethel could help them! And it just looked like an ordinary cave so far anyway! The questgiver hadn’t really given many details about what happened, but, well, not to be rude but they looked pretty wimpy, so Ybalue doubted it’d be anything they couldn’t handle. Although, it was starting to look a bit more interesting now. Something all over the wall was glowing, which they didn’t personally need since they could see in the dark, but it was certainly something unusual. They looked a bit closer, wondering what the light was coming from. It was definitely very beautiful, whatever it was. The type of thing that could let your mind wander a bit. Make you distracted. Vulnerable…

Something suddenly dropped down onto their shoulder, and they felt a stinging pain shoot through their neck. They yelled in pain, grabbing whatever it was and tossing it down the tunnel. It scurried rapidly away, but as Ybalue tried to chase after it they suddenly found themselves feeling very sluggish. They groaned, starting to collapse. Damn thing… poisoned them… “What’s going on?! Ybalue, are you okay?!” They could hear their party catching up to them, and felt Bethel adjust them into a more comfortable position. “…Sssomethnnggg… Dddrropppp… Ppooissinnnn…” Jasa scoffed. “This is why you don’t run ahead of your party members! You deserve this, you know.” Bethel gave Jasa a sharp look. “Don’t say that! It’s not his fault this happened! Look, you and Ekob go scout ahead while I cure the poison, alright?” Jasa grumbled something as he and Ekob left, and Bethel smiled kindly at Ybalue. “Don’t worry, just relax. I’m going to make you all better!"

As Bethel took out her holy symbol, Ybalue tried to keep their thoughts straight. Their head felt a bit loopy from the poison, and it was hard to really focus on much… They liked looking at Bethel though… She was quite pretty, with her soft black hair tied into two like that… There was a purple streak in there too… It almost looked like it was glittering in the cave light… She gently touched the bite mark as she chanted a spell, and her voice was silky and relaxing… Her holy symbol glowed a deep purple, and waves of warmth spread through Ybalue's body, washing away all the poison. They smiled weakly, their body still feeling sluggish and heavy even as the poison wore off. They tried to get up, but Bethel gently pushed them back down. “Shhh, no, not yet. I still need to heal you.” Ybalue grunted quietly. “…I'm fine… don’t worry…” Bethel smiled kindly. “Not yet. I just need to cast one more healing spell.” She raised her hand, and a purple light began to swirl in front of Ybalue's eyes. “Just stare, now.”

Ybalue was briefly confused as to how this was healing, but as they stared into the purple light, it didn’t really matter anymore… The light made their head feel soft and fuzzy, and everything else started to fade away. It filled their mind and gently washed away all their thoughts, leaving nothing but a gentle urge to stare deeper… The pattern was so pretty too… And it made them feel so sleepy… Like at any second, they could just shut their eyes and *Click* “Sleep.” And everything melted into a warm, deep slumber… A slumber where their mind was completely vulnerable to suggestion…

Bethel smiled. The poison they’d suffered made this even easier than usual. “Listen to my voice, Ybalue. You’re far too reckless, and that’s not good. You need to think about where you’re going, and listen to what people warn you about. You need to be calm and levelheaded. Do you understand?” Ybalue nodded obediently. “Good. In the future, you will not feel the urge to run ahead without thinking like this. As well, whenever a party member of yours requests you to be careful, you will agree and obey. Do you understand?” They nodded again. “Good. Finally, you will obey my every command and suggestion without thinking it strange or out of character for yourself. I always know what is the best and most virtuous thing to do, and you will always listen to me. Do you understand? “ Ybalue nodded once more, and Bethel smiled. “Good. Now, wake up and forget this happened. All you will remember is that I healed your body and gave you some helpful advice you will choose to follow. Now, Awaken!” Ybalue's eyes opened, and they smiled up at Bethel. “Thanks for the healing.” They pushed themselves up and stood there. “I’ll keep that advice you gave me in mind.” Bethel smiled warmly. “I was hoping you would. Now follow me, let’s meet back up with the others.” She started walking down the cave, and Ybalue obediently followed.

The brothers met them a short way down the cave. Jasa glanced at Ybalue being the one trailing behind now, but said nothing of it and delivered his report. “There’s a fork in the cave up ahead, and it looks like the old party definitely checked out both sides from the footprints. Ekob… Noticed some split rocks a little way into the left tunnel, but we’re unsure what’s down the right one.” Bethel nodded, glancing over at Ekob, who had a mischievous grin on his face. “Hmm… Perhaps me and Ekob should check the left tunnel while you and Ybalue check the right one.” Jasa shook his head. “I would advise not splitting up like they did, it’s probably what got them into trouble in the first place.” Bethel nodded. “Good point… Hmm… You and Ybalue stay by the tunnel entrance to make sure we aren’t ambushed while me and Ekob go in a bit deeper.” Jasa raised an eyebrow. “I, uh, don’t really see the point in that.” Ybalue shrugged. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” Ekob nodded. “Yeah, we can handle ourselves Jay.” Jasa bit his lip. It didn’t sound like a great plan to him, but he was outvoted, so… “Alright, we’ll try that then. But make sure to sound the alarm if anything happens, alright?” Bethel and Ekob nodded, and the party headed towards the tunnels. Ybalue and Jasa stood outside the entrance, eyes kept sharp and ready, and Bethel and Ekob headed deeper inside…

They walked quietly, as to avoid risking alerting any monsters, but Bethel did have something she wished to bring up. “Back at the town, you were telling me about a quest you and your brother went on to deal with a highwayman, but you never had time to finish the story. How did it end?” Ekob shrugged. “Eh, I already told you most of the interesting stuff about that day. But yeah, after all of that Jay followed the highwayman's tracks back to a hideout in the woods. Fool never even saw us coming, and I slit his throat before he could even draw a weapon.” Bethel nodded, “Mhm…” and Ekob continued. “Anyway, turns out the guy had been doing this for quite a while, and there was quite a lot of money and valuables stashed away in there. Wonderful loot it was for us.” Bethel raised an eyebrow. “So, you didn’t return it to the village?” Ekob looked back at her, confused. “Uh, no, why would we?” Bethel gave a small sigh. “It was their ‘loot' in there, in the end. You yourself told me about how one of the people he robbed had been made destitute by the loss of all the gold, not to mention the loss of a family heirloom ring. Did you not at least give him that back?” Ekob thought for a bit, then shrugged. “Uh, guess not. Doesn’t really matter though.” Bethel shook her head. “It matters quite a lot! That wasn’t your money to take!” Ekob groaned. “Uughhh, look, lady, I don’t know what prissy Goddess you follow, but this is the real world. We’re adventurers. We DESERVE rewards for the help we give, okay? It’s not our place to worry about where every little gold piece comes from, alright? So just get off your high horse and keep to helping us complete this quest, okay?” Bethel nodded curtly. “Alright. I’ll help.” She suddenly grabbed his shoulder. “Hey, what’s the… the… wait, what are you…” Bethel gently shushed him, enjoying watching his bravado melt away as he gazed into her now quite hypnotic eyes. “Shhhh, just stare… “

Ekob felt his body growing weak as he stared into Bethel's eyes. They’d always been a weirdly intense purple, but now a swirling purple glow emanated from them. A strange, mesmerizing pattern filled them, pulling him deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless depths of her eyes. “…huh… stop… i…” It was growing hard to think as all his thoughts were pulled into the beautiful depths of her eyes. The easiest thing for him to do in the world was just keep staring and letting the spiraling glow fill his mind… But he couldn’t… He knew there was something off about her the whole time… trying to betray them now… He drew his dagger, but it was far too late. His body was hardly strong enough to hold it, and a gentle tug from Bethel was all it took to disarm him. “No, no need for that, Ekob… All you need to do is stare Deeper and Deeper… Let my eyes trap your mind… Bind you to my will… Just Submit…” Her voice was so wonderful… It echoed through his mind… Suddenly submitting sounded like the most wonderful idea in the world… He relaxed, and Bethel smiled. “Good, good… Now, Sleep!” She clicked her fingers, and he fell into a deep, suggestible sleep.

Bethel looked the newly hypnotized rogue over. She’d dealt with many a greedy and entitled adventurer, and he was no different from any of them. “Listen to my voice, Ekob. You are far too selfish and greedy. You only care about yourself and your own rewards, at the expense of those who need help. This is not good at all. The purpose of an adventurer is to help those in need and defend what is right, not to line your own pockets with stolen goods. Do you understand?” Ekob nodded, unable to resist her voice. “Good. From now on, you will endeavor to help those in need for their sake, not just yours. You will ensure the gold and treasure you find is returned to those who need it instead of hoarding it all for yourself. If someone in need asks for your help, you will accept out of the goodness of your heart, not for the greedy desire of a reward. Do you understand? “ She was elegantly rewriting the selfishness in his mind, changing his inner beliefs with nothing more than her soft words. He nodded. “Good. Finally, you will always obey what I say. You will agree with my every suggestion and follow my every command without thinking anything is amiss or wondering why you are doing it. I always know what is good and virtuous, and you will always listen to me. Do you understand? “ Ekob nodded. “Good. Now, you will wake up and remember none of this happened. All you will remember is that I gave you some very convincing advice that caused you to start rethinking the way you see things. And if your brother becomes suspicious of me, you will do your best to convince him I am good and mean no harm. Now, Awaken!” Ekob blinked, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy. He leaned against the wall to steady himself for a second. He saw Bethel looking at him and waved reassuringly. “I’m fine, just a bit dizzy. And yeah, I’ll definitely think about what you told me… It makes a lot of sense…” Bethel smiled warmly. “I'm glad to hear that! Now come on, let’s finish scouting out the tunnel and get back to the others.” Ekob nodded and obediently followed her, still thinking about the convincing advice she’d given him…

A few minutes later, Ekob and Bethel returned. Jasa looked back at them. “Nothing came while you were gone. Find anything? “ Bethel shook her head. “No, it appears to just be a dead end.” Jasa nodded. “Figures. Alright, let’s head down the right tunnel. And just so you know, I examined the lights while you were scouting. Looks like some kind of spiderweb, which would match up with Ybalue's experience. So I think we should all go together now, since I have a feeling we might end up walking into a spider's lair.” Bethel nodded. “That makes sense. Come on Ybalue, follow us!” Bethel and Ybalue headed down the tunnel, but the brothers lagged behind a little. As they walked, Jasa quietly asked Ekob, “So what happened in there?” Ekob shrugged. “Uh, nothing much. Like she said, it was a dead end. Why?” Jasa bit his lip. “She’s up to something. I can tell.” Ekob chuckled casually. “Ah, she’s not bad. She’s just a bit zealous and prissy, those religious nuts always are. I think you’re just being paranoid again.” Jasa thought for a moment, then asked, “And you’re sure she didn’t do anything while you two were in there?” Ekob shook his head. “Nah, we just talked a bit. She’s fine, Jay.” Jasa nodded, dropping the subject, but he wasn’t fully convinced. Ybalue had been acting differently since she healed them… And his brother definitely seemed to be acting a little odd too… But maybe he was just paranoid… And besides, they’d be disbanding after the quest anyway, so it shouldn’t matter too much soon.

One of Jasa's hunches turned out correct quite quickly, as after walking down the tunnel for a while, they suddenly found themselves in a massive glowing chamber filled with webs, with large silken cocoons hanging from the ceiling. The spider's lair. And just as they walked in, there was a loud crash from behind them. Several large rocks had been dropped in front of the entrance, evidently held up on the ceiling until they approached, blocking them in. They drew their weapons as spiders scuttled all around them, but they didn’t attack yet. Instead, the sounds of a larger creature drew near, and soon the terrible mistress of this cave revealed herself. A beautiful woman’s torso on a massive black spider's body who surveyed the adventurers greedily. Close behind her was a similar creature, though smaller and with a silver spider's body. The monster gave a predatory grin. “Hmhmhmhm~… It appears some more flies have flown into my web~…” She snapped her fingers, and the webs around them suddenly began constraining them. Jasa fired off an arrow before his hands could be restrained, which pierced her skin but didn’t seem to hurt her too badly. She glared at him with all eight of her silver eyes. “Hrm, what a feisty one you are~… You’ll make a wonderful meal for my brood~…” She casually inspected the struggling adventurers, the webs sapping their energy with every second. She grinned at Ekob. “Hmm, I suppose you also will make a nice meal~…” She looked over at Ybalue, but seemed uninterested. “You, however, I see little use for~… Perhaps you will be best suited for luring more into my domain ~…” As she looked at Bethel, her grin grew wider. “Oh, but you~… You would be wonderful as another daughter of mine~…” The smaller one smiled at Bethel. “Yes, just let Mistress Widow change you like she did me! It feels so wonderful…” Bethel murmured something, and the Widow leaned forward mockingly. “Oh, what was that~? It seems you’re too sleepy to speak loudly~…” Bethel spoke again, a strange word not in any mortal language. A soft, silken clicking sound… And the Widow's eyes grew wide, as she felt a gentle string tie itself around her mind.

The Widow suddenly felt oddly dazed and fuzzy… “Y-You… What did you do…?” Bethel smiled. “It sounds nice, doesn’t it? I find it works quite well at making spiders become weak and obedient for me…” She repeated it, and the Widow felt another powerful hypnotic tug on her mind. Her legs grew weak, and she stumbled forward. “Wh-what… H-How…? Feels… nice…” Bethel grinned. “It does feel nice, doesn’t it? Like you’re being made to do exactly what you were always meant to do… Like you’re obeying who you were always meant to obey…” Jasa looked at her, his eyes narrowing. He knew something was up the whole time. The smaller monster ran forward, getting right up in Bethel's face. “What are you doing to Mistress Widow?! You should-“ Bethel said the word again, and the spider monster's whole body relaxed. “I should be untied.” The spider monster responded, her voice dazed and sleepy. “…you should be untied…” She obediently began removing the webs binding Bethel in place. The Widow tried to stop her, but found it so hard to focus on anything… She stood there, swaying unsteadily, as Bethel was freed. “Thank you, little spider. Now, as for you…” She pulled out her holy symbol, which really didn’t look very holy at all anymore, and brandished it at the Widow. “…Submit yourself to the true Mistress of spiders. Submit yourself to Syrachna, Mistress of Manipulation~”

The symbol began to glow with a deep, swirling purple light, a light that reflected in all eight of the Widow's eyes. “…Syrachna…?” Bethel smiled, her voice growing silky and hypnotic. “Yes… Syrachna's web stretches all over this world… All mortals are but puppets are Her string… And all spiders are Her subjects… It is the birthright of spiders to obey Her will… To be obedient tools in Her grand designs… Can you feel Her Web around you, little spider~?” The Widow's voice was unsteady and filled with reverent awe. “…Yes… all around me… so vast… so intricate… so lovely…” The holy symbol hummed with a hypnotic energy that was even making Jasa fall under as Bethel continued. “Yes… You are a part of Her web, a part of Her grand designs… She wishes for you to be Her tool, to carry out Her will, and you will obey~” The Widow mindlessly repeated, “…I will obey…” The Widow's formerly silver eyes were turning a deep purple. “She is the ruler of spiderkind… And you are a spider… You are Hers, and you will exact Her will… And it is the most wonderful thing you could ever do… It is truly your destiny to serve Her…” The Widow smiled blissfully. “…serve… Her…” Bethel smiled, stroking the Widow's carapace. “Good little spider~ Now, are you ready to enact Her will~?” The Widow nodded. “Good~… Now, listen closely…”

Bethel began speaking softly in the same language she had used to hypnotize the Widow earlier, telling the Widow exactly what she must do. The Widow obediently nodded and began commanding her spiders to unwrap a few of the cocoons. Jasa stared daggers at Bethel, somewhat dazed but still cognizant enough to feel horrible rage at her. “…You betrayed us…! You used us…!” Bethel smiled kindly, making Jasa's blood boil. “Perhaps, but I promise I always intended for you to remain safe. This was all for the greater good, Jasa.” Jasa growled. “The greater good…?! Helping a… a fiend of some sort extend her evil influence is for the greater good…?!” Bethel nodded sagely. “Of course! It is only through Her power that I can enact such good in the world. Assisting in Her plans means I can continue to help all who need helping and make the world a better place! And besides, if left unchecked the Widow would certainly have done many terrible things. She was going to eat you and your brother, remember! But as a part of Her web, she will be used for a greater purpose, not left to her own base desires but instead used to effect great change!”

Jasa stared at her. She was… Insane. Or, more likely, completely and utterly brainwashed by this fiend if she truly believed giving it control of such a powerful monster was truly ‘for the greater good'. Further talk was clearly useless, so he didn’t respond. But she continued. “Now, we must prepare our story to ensure the town is not suspicious.” Jasa glared at her. “Our story…?!” Bethel nodded. “Yes. Our story that we were able to rescue two of the missing adventurers,” she waved over at a dazed and drained half-orc and human, “but sadly were unable to rescue the last. Oh, little spider?” The smaller spider monster obediently ran up to her, her own eyes already turning deep purple. “Yes Mistress Bethel?” Bethel gently rubbed her carapace. “Find something from your old life we can use as proof of your ‘death’, please.” The monster happily nodded and scuttled off to find something.

Bethel walked over to Jasa. “And of course, you must give the same story. Just stare deep into my eyes, Jasa…” Jasa would rather die than willingly go along with this, but he knew he was helpless. The webbing was sapping all his strength, the ritual earlier had already begun to entrance him, and Bethel's eyes were so… so pretty… And so, his mind melted away, as he was made yet another little fly on Syrachna's web of manipulation…