Quote: Holiday

This page contains the narrations of holiday missions.

## **Hungry Spider**

**Mission begins**:

* Tucked away in a dark corner of the world, this wolf spider hungers. It's appetite is insatiable and there lies a feast of creatures nearby. It will liquidize the flesh and suck the juice of its many victims.

**You have played for 10 minutes**:

* **Spider**: So very hungry!

**You have played for 17 minutes**:

* **Spider**: It gnaws at my thoughts, the constant, unyielding desire to feed... on bigger, stronger prey!

**You have played for 24 minutes**:

* **Spider**: Slice the carapace, dissolve the innards, suck the juice, chop, melt, drink!

**You have played for 31 minutes**:

* **Spider**: Bugs and crustaceans and grubs, and fat and great big chunks of hot wet red!

**You kill the mole cricket**:

* **Spider**: Such succulent sweet meat, 'tis not enough... There must be bigger, juicier prizes!

**You kill a queen for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: Yes, the queen tastes good. There must be more... more royal flesh.

**You kill the Uber hermit crab**:

* **Spider**: Sweet crab, divine! Pick the husk clean, fill the stomach!

**You kill the Uber devil's coach horse beetle**:

* **Spider**: Sticky innards, glorious feast, hunger still gnawing, appetite must be sated!

**You kill the Uber beach tiger beetle**:

* **Spider**: Cut the beetle! Fill the stomach with hot, wet, proteinous goo!

**You kill a small beach wolf spider for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: We like beetles, ants and crabs, but we haven't tried spiders before. Is it... soft? Is it... juicy?

**You win**:

* **Spider**: Finally, the desire leaves. Must sleep... prepare for the next meal.

**You lose**:

* The spider gorged itself until the nearby creatures are too much to handle. Brought low by gluttony, its bloated corpse will now feed the very creatures it sought to consume.

## **Festive Spider**

**Mission begins**:

* **Spider**: Aahh, 'tis the season. The weather is cold, the days are dark and the presents are under the tree, ready for the little ones. What could possibly upset this delightful scene?

**Gatherers appear for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: This isn't in the spirit of things! Envious eyes are regarding my haul, but these gifts are not for them. I must... remind them of that.

**You retrieve a present for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: The gifts return home after a time. All I need to do is stop the invaders escaping with them.

**Attackers appear for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: It seems not everyone is here for the gifts, some are here for me.

**You kill an attacker for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: Watching the gifts is hard work and I'm skinnier than I was, but winter has come, and it's time to fatten up.

**You lose a present for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: I do care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.

**You build a tower for the 1st time**:

* **Spider**: Welcome to the party, pal.

**You kill the Uber hermit crab**:

* **Spider**: Merry Christmas, you filthy animal!

**You kill the Uber beach tiger beetle**:

* **Spider**: Every time a beetle dies, a spider eats his wings!

**The penultimate wave appears**:

* **Spider**: The three wise men approach... but they're not bringing gifts.

**The final wave appears**:

* **Spider**: And after all, there's only one more wave till Christmas!

**You win and preserve less than 15 presents**:

* **Spider**: Maybe Christmas, I think, doesn't come from a store.

**You win and preserve more than 15 presents**:

* **Spider**: Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind.

**You win and preserve all presents**:

* **Spider**: Every spiderlings has their gift, and my heart has grown three sizes bigger this day. Merry Christmas to all - until next time.

**You lose**:

* **Spider**: None of the spiderlings will be getting their gifts this year. Bah, humbug!

## **New Year's Feast**

**Mission starts**:

* There's only three days to go until the New Year and deep in the undergrowth, the fire ants are busy preparing for the grand celebration. To highlight the event, the queen is planning to cook her famous hotpot for friends and family. Unforetunately, in the midst of the chaos, the ants have forgotten to gather the necessary spices for the queen. There is still time to collect everything they need, but the fire ants must hurry.

**The 1st night is over**:

* Ther are less than two days to go until the New Year. As the ants take care of their daily nest tasks, they must not forget their ultimate goal. They must gather all the spices for the queen's hotpot.

**The 2nd night is over**:

* Today is New Year's Eve and the ants muts be ready in time fo dinner tonight. Speed is key, but recklesness could lead to the colony's downfall. The ants must remain cautious, and not give in to impetuesity.

**You discover a firecracker for the 1st time**:

* The ants have found a festive firecracker! They can be quite dangerous, the ants should handle them with care.

**You use a firecracker to kill an enemy for the 1st time**:

* It seems that the underground critters don't like loud noises. These firecrackers may turn out to be quite useful.

**You use a firecracker to excavate an area for the 1st time**:

* The firecrackers are making the nest walls unstable. Perhaps the ants could use this to their advantage.

**You move the camera over the guests**:

* Unfamiliar with the area, some of the invitees travelling from afar have got lost in the undergrowth. As good host, the fire ants should take some time out of their busy schedules to retrieve them.

**You encounter the guests for the 1st time**:

* The first group of lost ants have been found. They are very tired from their long journey. To make sure they don't run into any more trouble, it may be best that the fire ants escort them home to the nest.

**You encounter the guests**:

* More of the lost relatives have been found, a good host would make sure that they get ack to the nest safely.

**You rescue the guests**:

* The [ant species] relatives are glad to be safe and sound in the warm nest. Now that they have their strength back, they will repay their host's kindness and help out with the preparations.

**You let the guests get killed**:

* The [ant species] relatives met with a tragic end on their journey to the nest, but what is done is done. The fire ants must press on.

**You discover an ingredient for the 1st time**:

* Some key spices that the queen needs for the hotpot have been found. The ants should gather them quickly.

**You completely gather an ingredient**:

* The queen has all the [ingredients] she needs for the hotpot! The ants are feeling envigorated and motivated.

**You approach the underground puzzle for the 1st time**:

* Only one of these four tunnels is safe, the others are cursed. The ants should triple-check before choosing their course.

**You choose the wrong path for the 1st time**:

* It seems the ants only double-checked before choosing their course.

**You approach the eastern hills for the 1st time**:

* The two ancient mountains to the east of the nest are protected by powerful guardians. They are usually hostile to visitors. If the ants are clever, they could use the strategy "to divert the tiger from the mountain", thereby distracting the guards on one hill while climbing the other.

**You approach the southwestern basin for the 1st time**:

* The tiger beetle larvae are numerous, but the ants must be brave and cross their den. If they are not cleared, the stranded guests have little chance of surviving the journey back to the nest.

**You approach the long pathway for the 1st time**:

* The road ahead may be long, but the ants shouldn't despair. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

**You encounter a destructible barrier for the 1st time**:

* It will take the ants a long time to clear these obstacles, but this area is full of danger. If the ants linger too long, they may attract the attention of the nearby enemies.

**You retreat from breaking the barriers for the 1st time**:

* The excavating ants were overrun by frogs, but with every setback, there is a lesson to be learned. Perhaps, the ants can find a faster way to clear the path.

**You approach the western hill for the 1st time**:

* The velvet worm is formidable. Perhaps it is better not to "tickle the tiger's bottom" and find a smart solution instead.

**You have rescued all guests**:

* Although there are still spices to collect, at least the whole family is finally united. As the proverb goes: "With love, water is enough. Without love, not even a feast can truly satisfy."

**You have gathered all ingredients**:

* The ants have finally gathered all the spices. After a very busy season, they settle around the hotpot to welcome in the new year... What was that noise?

**The Nian beast appears**:

* It cannot be... There hasn't been a sighting for over a thousand year! It is! It really is! It really is the Nian beast. This is very bad news. The Nian beast has come to eat the ants. The ants still have a glimmer of hop. Legend has it that the Nian beast is afraid of fire and loud noises. Perhaps the ants can use this knowledge to their advantage.

**The secret chamber appears**:

* Of course! Of course! The queen has a secret stockpile of super-firecrackers! What a godsend!

**You win**:

* A glorious victory! The clever little ants triumphed over the Nian Beast. Now they can finally enjoy the queen's delicious hotpot. Happy New Year!

**You lose to the timer**:

* As the evening drew in, the cold reality became clear for the ants. There would be no hotpot for New Year's Eve this year. The queen lost face in front of her guests and the ants would have to go to the bed hungry. Perhaps next time they will remember not to put off the most important work until the last minute...

**You lose to the Nian beast**:

* Panicked and scattered, the ants were no match for the great Nian beast. It will feed heartily tonight.

**You lose to other enemies**:

* Desperate for spices, the ants dug too hastily and too carelessly. Their battle lines were broken by the enemy. Sometimes we can learn from our failures, but sometimes one failure means the end of our destiny. The ants will not get a second chance.

## **Trivia**

* The narrations in **Festive Spider** are references to Christmas-related movies: **Die Hard**, **Home Alone 2: Lost in New York**, **How the Grinch Stole Christmas**, **The Muppet Christmas Carol**, **A Christmas Carol** and **Miracle on 34th Street**.

* **New Year's Feast** is the only mission narrated entirely in Chinese. The narrations are references to Chinese proverbs and Sun Tzu's strategems. The narrator is voiced by Xiao Ma.