Hey everyone and welcome back to my Splinterlands blog, it's time to make another blog post for this weeks Community Engagement Challenge which is about lore expansion again, we had this challenge once before this one and it's one of my favorite challenges!
The last time I made a story for Nimue, one of the Coastal Sentries patrolling the Laniree Reef, you can read it here.

So I was grinding my ranked battles and when I'm waiting for my opponent to submit I'm reading articles on ecency from other hive members, some of them are Splinterlands related but not all.
I just had a battle where I tried out a card I didn't use a lot before, and to be honest I was pretty much ignoring it because I didn't think it was adding much value until I've seen it used by my opponents that beat me with it... ok... so it IS pretty useful after all!

I'm talking about the Arachne Weaver, an Epic Death Rebellion reward card I so far managed to pull three copies of, but as we need four to level it up, it's still a level 1 card but it already comes with the Corrupted Healing ability at level 1.

It will probably take a long time before I'll get it to the scavenge ability, but it turns out to be quite useful at the lower levels as well, so when I just won this battle with her, the Splinterlands Community Engagement Challenge appeared in my feed.. cool! Let's check out the Weaver's lore!
Like most Splinterlands player I think I can call myself somewhat nerdy so I really like the lore stories, but most of them are only short. I have to admit I didn't check a lot of them because I just lack the time with everything there is to do with Splinterlands!

This is the battle I was talking about, only 35 minutes old. I beat a max level Thaddius with my level 6! 😊

This is not a battle post so I'll keep this part brief, but when you want you can watch the battle here.

The Splinterlands Lore...

Arachnes primarily inhabit the Deep and are considered one of the most feared predators of its subterranean ecosystem. They are highly aggressive and territorial and will attack any who venture within their domain.

They frequently employ a complex, strategic set of webs to create traps and barriers to ensnare their prey before devouring them at their leisure. Some are highly venomous. Others are adept magic users and healers—although oftentimes even their spells of healing are toxic.

More lore!

Arachne Weaver: The Weavings of Fate

Deep within the lightless chasms of Praetoria's subterranean Deep, where even echoes fear to linger, the Arachne Weaver reigns supreme. Among the Arachnes, the Weaver is both revered and feared—a matriarch whose cunning and power surpass even the deadliest of her kin. She is not merely a predator; she is a force of nature, weaving the strands of life and death into her vast, enchanted web.

The Arachne Weaver’s web is said to stretch for miles, forming an intricate maze of silk-like fibers imbued with a dark, shimmering magic. Those who stumble into her lair rarely escape, for the threads respond to her will, tightening around prey with an almost sentient malice. What makes the Weaver unique among her kind is her mastery of both venom and magic. Her venom is not merely a weapon but an alchemical wonder—capable of dissolving the strongest armor, inducing hallucinations, or even petrifying her victims.

Her magic, however, is far more insidious. The Arachne Weaver is a mistress of toxic enchantments, channeling a corrupted form of healing magic. Wounded intruders lured by the promise of aid have found their injuries soothed, only to discover the dreadful cost: a slow, creeping decay as the Weaver’s magic spreads its corruption through their bodies.

The Legend of the Weaver’s Bargain

The Weaver’s notoriety is not limited to her hunting prowess. Ancient tales speak of desperate souls who sought the Arachne Weaver in her lair, hoping to bargain for her power. One such story tells of a dying mage, crippled by poison, who offered her his life’s work in exchange for a cure. The Weaver accepted his offer but wove his very soul into her web, binding him as an eternal guardian of her domain.

Yet, the mage’s fate was not unique. Many who seek her aid find themselves trapped in her webs, their essence drained to fuel her enchantments. The Arachne Weaver’s power has grown with each sacrifice, her influence spreading through the subterranean Deep like the roots of a malignant tree.

The Shadow Looms

The Arachne Weaver is more than a predator. She is a manipulator, a hunter, and a queen of her domain. To face her is to confront not just the venom in her fangs but the tangled web of your own fate. In the Deep, all paths eventually lead to her lair. And for those who find themselves caught in her threads, there is no escape—only a choice between submission and consumption.

One of the cool things with lore is you can make short stories with all characters, I think @splinterlands should start releasing books with these stories, it would be pretty damn awesome and another way of revenue. No one else can do this as everything in the game is the property of @yabapmatt.

A short story:

The Weaver's Prey

The air in the Deep was damp and cloying, heavy with the scent of decay. Dim bioluminescent fungi clung to the jagged walls, casting eerie green light across the uneven terrain. Dain, a treasure-seeker who fancied himself braver than most, tightened his grip on his torch and peered deeper into the cavern. Stories of the treasures hidden in the Deep had brought him here, whispers of relics lost to time. Yet, as he ventured further, the suffocating silence pressed against his ears, filling his heart with unease.

Unseen above, the Arachne Weaver stirred. She had sensed his arrival the moment he crossed into her domain, the vibrations of his clumsy footsteps reverberating through her massive web. Each thread was attuned to her will, a network of delicate strands that told her everything she needed to know about her prey: its size, its movements, even the rhythm of its breath. The Weaver let out a low, clicking sound of amusement. Another fool.

Dain stumbled into a vast cavern, his torchlight flickering against an impossibly complex web stretched across the ceiling. It shimmered with a faint, otherworldly light, the threads pulsating like veins in a living creature. He took a cautious step forward, his instincts urging him to turn back, but the glint of something metallic caught his eye—a dagger, seemingly pristine, dangling in the strands above.

“Jackpot,” he muttered, suppressing a grin.

The Weaver watched, her many eyes glinting in the darkness as Dain stepped closer to the web. She remained motionless, a silhouette among the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. Patience was her greatest weapon.

As Dain reached up, the web pulsed, and the dagger shifted just out of reach. Confused, he stretched further, his fingers brushing against one of the sticky threads. In an instant, the web came alive.

The thread coiled around his hand, tightening like a snake. Dain cried out, dropping his torch as he struggled to free himself. The web responded, more threads snapping into place, pinning his arm. Panic surged through him as he pulled with all his strength, but the more he struggled, the more the web ensnared him.

A low, echoing click resonated through the cavern. Dain froze.

From the shadows, the Arachne Weaver descended, her form massive and terrifying. Her eight legs moved with eerie grace, each step silent but deliberate. Her chitinous body gleamed in the dim light, and her many eyes sparkled like black diamonds.

“W-what are you?” Dain stammered, his voice trembling as he twisted in the web.

The Weaver didn’t respond, for she had no need for words. Instead, she loomed closer, her mandibles clicking rhythmically as if savoring his fear. She extended one clawed limb, gently brushing the side of his face. The motion was almost tender—mockingly so.

“You don’t have to do this!” Dain pleaded, his voice rising in desperation. “I’ll leave! I swear!”

The Weaver tilted her head, as if considering his words. Then, from her fangs, a single drop of venom fell onto the web near his feet. The strands sizzled as the venom spread, glowing faintly. Dain’s eyes widened in horror as the web began to tighten, pulling him into its depths.

“No! Please! NO—”

His screams echoed briefly before being swallowed by the cavern’s oppressive silence. The Weaver lingered for a moment, inspecting her handiwork. The web shimmered, her magic weaving through its fibers, preserving the body for later. She didn’t need to devour him yet; she preferred her prey to ripen, their fear and despair soaking into the threads like seasoning.

Satisfied, she retreated to the shadows, her form blending seamlessly with the dark. The cavern fell silent once more, the only sound the faint hum of the pulsating web. The Arachne Weaver settled into her lair, waiting patiently for the next fool to wander into her domain.

For in the Deep, there was no greater predator—and no escape from the Weaver’s web.

I'm looking forward to the stories from other participants, especially from my friend @estebam who recently started to make splinterlands blog posts as well!

Thank you for reading!!!

If you haven't made an account already, please consider using my referral link to sign up, I'll happily send the amount I get for your signup back to you in DEC or SPS to help you start.

Also, when you require any help to get you started,let me know, I'm here to advice and guide new players and maybe I can help you with card delegations too!

Have a great day!