The Drug of the Horned Empress Spider
In the Kingdom of Linearia, somewhere in the mountains beyond the wisp wood forest, lies the hideout of the Orocta Assassins. Once one's name is carved onto their stone obelisk, it is not a question of if they'll be killed, but when. Their inhuman speed and deadly precision make them the most feared assassins in all of Linearia, and perhaps all of Calderon.
Some say it is the unholy god they worship that gives them their unbelievable skill at taking life. Others say they belong to a long extinct race of elves, superior to even the high elves themselves. The secret of how they succeed at what they do so flawlessly is a less outlandish, but none the less just as affective, procedure that they practice.
It is a drug that comes from the venom of the horned empress spider. The spiders are collected and bred by the assassins. They are then grabbed and put up against a glass vial with the opening covered in a thin silk cloth. Feeling threatened, the spiders sink their fangs into the only thing in their reach. Their fangs sink through the cloth and the venom drips from the fangs into the vial below. The amount of venom is then deluded with dew and mixed with maple tree sap to thicken it. It is then coated on a small blade protruding from the black leather sleeve that covers the assassin's right triceps.
The blade is not used on the Orocta's targets, but rather the assassins themselves. Before an attack, an assassin may willingly cut their hand on the blade, allowing the venom to enter their bloodstream. The affect is like an extreme shot of adrenaline, causing a racing heart rate and feats of incredible speed and strength. For normal men, it would be too much. Their heart would fail, or they would go into cardiac arrest, much like the Horned Empress's smaller prey. Orocta Assassins, however, train their whole lives to slow their heartbeat. Some master Orocta can even survive for a brief period of time after being bitten by a Horned Empress and choose to as a last resort. They put their last moments to good use. For in their culture, it is better to die accomplishing a mission than to live having failed it.
Some say it is the unholy god they worship that gives them their unbelievable skill at taking life. Others say they belong to a long extinct race of elves, superior to even the high elves themselves. The secret of how they succeed at what they do so flawlessly is a less outlandish, but none the less just as affective, procedure that they practice.
It is a drug that comes from the venom of the horned empress spider. The spiders are collected and bred by the assassins. They are then grabbed and put up against a glass vial with the opening covered in a thin silk cloth. Feeling threatened, the spiders sink their fangs into the only thing in their reach. Their fangs sink through the cloth and the venom drips from the fangs into the vial below. The amount of venom is then deluded with dew and mixed with maple tree sap to thicken it. It is then coated on a small blade protruding from the black leather sleeve that covers the assassin's right triceps.
The blade is not used on the Orocta's targets, but rather the assassins themselves. Before an attack, an assassin may willingly cut their hand on the blade, allowing the venom to enter their bloodstream. The affect is like an extreme shot of adrenaline, causing a racing heart rate and feats of incredible speed and strength. For normal men, it would be too much. Their heart would fail, or they would go into cardiac arrest, much like the Horned Empress's smaller prey. Orocta Assassins, however, train their whole lives to slow their heartbeat. Some master Orocta can even survive for a brief period of time after being bitten by a Horned Empress and choose to as a last resort. They put their last moments to good use. For in their culture, it is better to die accomplishing a mission than to live having failed it.
Type
Physiological
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