Lich Spider

"There have been days throughout my life where I've found myself lost in nature's beauty. I forget about the perilous game of survival that we're all a part of. This horrid monster, is a sobering reminder of nature's uncaring cruellty." - Elea Ma'Kabibi

Written by: jester2b

Cover Art by: Rafael Sewa

Web Spinning Nightmare

Lurking within the darkest reaches of Stelwen is a monster born out of nightmares. A spider bigger than any man that will torture its victims even after death. Its cruelty and malice are like those of a demon, but this creature is no demon, nor is it a figment of a twisted imagination. Unfortunately for those wandering the forests and jungles of Stelwen, this monster is very real.

Morphology

The Lich Spider is a species of giant spider with a leg span of 4.5 meters. They typically have a black hairy carapace with patches of green across their body, though some have been found with white, blue, and purple markings. Across the top of its carapace and on its abdomens are sharp horns of varying sizes, with the most prominent being on the abdomen. The eyes of the Lich Spider are blood red and have a faint glow, which has been the last sight more many. Its most defining features are its two clawed fingers at the end of each leg, which it uses for climbing, grabbing objects, and casting spells. Their thin spindly pedipalps by the fangs also have fingers at the end, though they have three instead of two. As with nearly all species of spiders, the females of the species are larger than their male counterparts, though this is the only known difference between the two genders.

Habitat

These monstrous spiders have been found all across Stelwen, mostly found residing within caves and dense forests. These creatures have also been discovered living deep underground in the Putrid Depths, indicating that they are quite adaptive creatures.

Diet

Lich Spiders are opportunistic predators who will devour anything they can catch. Through the use of their sticky webs, paralyzing venom, and a barrage of magic, the Lich Spider can fell even the mightiest of Stelwen's beasts. Humans and elves are no exception; some even believe they enjoy capturing and torturing humanoid prey, for their screams are like music to their ears, and they often bring weapons to defend the nest after being consumed.

Hunting Behavior

The Lich Spider's hunting methods are similar to other web-spinning spiders. They patiently wait within their lair until they feel the slightest vibration of a creature caught in its webs. The Lich Spider will crawl over to it when it detects prey and examine its catch. If it can easily subdue its prey's struggles, it will simply take hold of the future meal and inject a paralyzing venom. Once the victim is paralyzed, the Lich Spider will wrap its victim in its stong, sticky webs and store it within its lair for future consumption. This is where, however, is where this monster's similarities with other spiders end.
Due to its incredibly slow metabolism, the Lich Spider only needs to feed once every month. Preferring the taste of still living prey, the spider will use its magical abilities to force its victims into a sort of stasis within their silken prison, keeping them alive for however long the spider wishes. However, those trapped in this stasis are still aware of what is happening to them and can still feel pain. The sadistic Lich Spider is very aware of this fact and entertains itself by torturing its victims with magic and venom to inflict as much pain as possible upon them without killing their prey. By this point, the paralyzing venom would've worn off, allowing its victims to writhe and scream in agony with no hope of release.
Once a victim is consumed, the spider will undo the silk bonds that held them and revive their dedicated husk to serve them. These undead minions will guard the Lich Spider's nest, protecting it from intruders and alerting their master of potential prey that has avoided its webs. Despite being nothing more than skin and bone, the magic puppeteering them make the Lich Spider's minions formidable opponents to encounter when roaming the wilds.

Reproduction and Growth

Like all spiders, the Lich Spider reproduces by laying massive clutches of eggs, producing up to a hundred spiderlings per clutch. It is believed to start the mating process, the male will leave its layer and capture an animal to bring as a gift to a female. The male will carry the still-living prey to the female, where she will inspect it and determine if he is a suitable mate. If she is not satisfied, she will force the unworthy male away from her lair and his gift to her. Those whose gifts are to her standard will be allowed to mate with her, and she will keep the paralyzed prey for later use.
Once the female is ready to lay her eggs, she will take the gifted prey given to her and lay her eggs on and around them for safekeeping. The mother and her horde of undead servants will protect these egg mounds. The Lich Spider will keep the paralyzed but still living egg bearer alive with her magic for the next month until they are ready to hatch. Once her children are hatched, the newly born spiderlings will finally devour the unfortunate victim for their first meal. After being born, the mother Lich Spider will allow her spiderlings to live within her lair until they are three months old.
Once ushered from their mother's protection, the young spiders are forced to survive in the wilds on their own. Due to their small stature and tendency to eat each other, most young Lich Spiders die within their first year of life. The ones who persevere will become full-grown when they are a year old and will have more than likely established a lair of their own.

Scientific Name

Peramaran Evocator

Lifespan

200 years

Average Length

4.5 Meters (15 Feet) Legspan