Location from Mother of Learning by nobody103
The hidden lair of Cyoria's telepathic spider colony — a network of silk-lined tunnels in the dungeon where the Aranea conduct psychic communion and train those rare humans they deem worthy of mind magic instruction.
The Aranea Web feels alien in a way that no surface location matches. The air thrums with telepathic activity — a constant low-level buzz of psychic communication that humans perceive as pressure behind the eyes. The spiders communicate through a communal psychic network, sharing memories, sensations, and strategic assessments in real-time. For Zorian, whose open third eye makes him receptive to this network, visiting the Web is like stepping into a room where everyone is thinking out loud. The colony is deeply pragmatic about its alliance with Zorian. They train him in mind magic because a powerful psychic human ally is valuable. The relationship is transactional, but over hundreds of loop iterations, genuine mutual respect develops between Zorian and certain matriarchs. They find his determination fascinating. He finds their alien perspective invaluable.
A section of the upper dungeon transformed by its inhabitants — tunnels lined with shimmering silk that catches and amplifies ambient mana. The silk creates acoustic dampening that makes the space eerily quiet. Bioluminescent markings on the walls pulse in patterns that correspond to the colony's psychic communication. The spiders themselves range from hand-sized scouts to larger matriarchs, all watching with clusters of intelligent eyes.
Also known as: The Web, Spider Colony, Aranea Lair