Aranea

Aranea are intelligent giant spiders skilled in magic. Few people believe that they still exist, because the creatures are careful to hide their nature, and they are difficult to expose.

Basic Information

Anatomy

An aranea has three physical forms it can take. In one form, an aranea resembles a spider with a body about four feet long and two feet wide. The notable differences between an aranea and a simple oversized spider are a hump on their backs which house their brains and two additional limbs located below their mandibles. These limbs are about two feet long and have four many-jointed fingers, plus a single thumb with an extra joint. These digits can be used to manipulate simple tools, or to perform the motions needed to cast spells.
In its second form, the aranea is indistinguishable from a humanoid of a certain type and possesses any special abilities of that type of humanoid.
In its third form, an aranea appears as a humanoid with arachnoid elements. These always include fangs, spinnerets in the palm of each hand, and four eyes.

Biological Traits

The humanoid form must be the same gender as the aranea. Height, weight, eye color, and hair color are all appropriate to the humanoid type imitated.
Its demispider form always includes fangs, spinnerets in the palm of each hand, and four eyes. The demispider form typically has an extra joint in each finger and thumb as well, and the two extra eyes are generally located on the temples. But no two individuals ever have exactly the same demispider form.
An aranea in humanoid form is effectively a member of the race emulated, and has any special abilities of that race. For instance, an aranea in lupin form has excellent senses of smell and hearing. They believe the form is chosen by fate, and aranea of the same family usually have similar forms (if not, an infant might be sent away to be raised by relatives).

Growth Rate & Stages

Aranea young are born live, and parents take good care of their children, to make sure they are given a proper background. The ability to change shape is automatic, learned within a few weeks after birth, and the first form an aranea takes cannot be changed to another form later. Each aranea is taught to emulate its humanoid form from infancy.
Aranea reach physical maturity on average after 8 years, as which point they begin producing venom which they can inject with thier fangs. An aranea also gains the ability to spin webs around this time, and the older they become the more webbing they can produce.

Ecology and Habitats

Aranea prefer to live in forests, the natural homes of their ancestors, where they can hunt and hide.
Aranea use magic to subdue their environment, shaping it to fit their desires. They are predators, and many enjoy the taste of the flesh of sentient beings, though these are the exception rather than the rule.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Aranea are carnivorous and require approximately twice as much nourishment as a humanoid of comprable size. However, aranea are such efficient hunters that this rarely presents a problem.
Aranea prefer to avoid physical combat and live in forests, the natural homes of their ancestors, where they can hunt and hide. Many enjoy the flesh of sentient beings, though these are the exception rather than the rule and most aranea hunt forest animals such as boars and deer. In spider or demispider form, they wait in trees for prey to pass beneath, then lower themselves silently on web strands, and attack with spells and fangs.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Araneas typically gather in small colonies of two to six individuals, making webbed nests high in trees. These colonies work together to research magic, and may change membership many times over as individuals leave to pursue their own studies and are replaced by newer members. A single aranea may take on humanoid form and live for years in a humanoid community, never revealing its true nature. Though araneas generally prefer to be left alone, they often prove quite knowledgeable about the ways of magic, and if approached peacefully may be willing to share their expertise for the right price (typically a magic item or some service).

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Adults can produce a damaging poison from their fangs. The victim feels a faint stiffness in the limbs immediately after being bitten, and all but the hardiest victims will quickly succumb, loosing the ability to move in less than a minute though remaining concious. The venom contains antibacterial and antifungal compounds which, combined with the fact that only skeletal muscles are disabled, allows a victim to stay alive for a very long time with little risk of infection even as they are eaten bit by bit. Aranea venom quickly looses its properties upon contact with air, so it is difficult to save without special techniques. The average adult aranea can produce enough venom for up to three injections per day.
An aranea can produce webbing which can be spun in pieces of any length. A web strand is about a quarter-inch in diameter and strong enough to suspend about 500 pounds. A strand can be severed easily by a sharp-edged object, but is incredibly relilient against blunt force. Aranea are generally good with cloth, and make fine clothing with the silk they produce.

Facial characteristics

Aranea have a set of impressive mandibles with large fangs, behind and above which are eight eyes. Four are small and simple, clustered around the top of its head which are used to detect motion. The other four are larger, and apear almost like humans', with a colored iris and black pupil, though set in a round, lidless socket. Two of the larger eyes face forward, and the others are positioned on either side of the creature's head.
The appearance of the aranea's humanoid form is depentent on the type of humanoid imitaded, with complextion, eye color, and hair color determined as appropriate.
Their demispider form always includes fangs, spinnerets in the palm of each hand, and four eyes. This form typically has an extra joint in each finger and thumb as well and the two extra eyes are generally located on the temples, but no two individuals ever have exactly the same demispider form.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Behind and above an aranea's mandibles are eight eyes. Four are small, simple eyes, used to detect motion. The other four are larger, and appear almost like humans', with a colored iris and black pupil, though set in a round, lidless socket. Two of the larger eyes face forward, and the others are positioned on either side of the creature's head. Aranea have infravision with a range of 60 feet.
An aranea in humanoid form is effectively a member of the race emulated, and has any special abilities of that race. For instance, an aranea in lupin form has excellent senses of smell and hearing.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

An aranea has two real identities, and therefore two names. One name is in their own strange language and only shared with other Aranea, and the other follows the customs of the race thier humanoid form emulates.

Relationship Ideals

Aranea follow the mating customs of the race they emulate, and their love can be quite deep. Parents take good care of their children, to make sure they are given a proper background. They tend to be suspicious of others, expecting them to have secrets as well.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Aranea have their own language, known now as Herath. This language of hisses and clicks cannot be spoken without the proper mouthparts, so although a humanoid can learn to understand it they cannot speak it without magical assistance. This means that aranea can only speak Herath in their arachnid or hybrid forms. All aranea know this language and a native language of the race they emulate.

Common Dress Code

In spider form, aranea never wear armor or clothing of any kind. Aranea in humanoid form dress appropriately for their place in society, prefering loose clothing which will not hinder them should they need to quickly transform. Some few wear armor for various reasons, but most of those feel they will never need to change into their arachnid forms quickly enough to take damage from it.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Aranea place much value on magic, and nearly all of them are spellcasters, so magic is fairly common in their lands. Most aranea are mages or specialist wizards. They prefer illusions and charms, and avoid fire-based spells. Though aranea might seem particularly well suited to be bards, that class is forbidden to them, for the idea of being an entertainer is foreign to their culture, and their histories are kept by "real wizards," rather than those who simply "dabble in magic".
Aranea take great pains to conceal their dual natures, partly because many other races feel animosity toward them, due to their secretive nature and their history. Aranea are taught from birth that they have two, discrete identities, one the spider form, shown only to other aranea, and the other a humanoid form, which law demands must be used to deal with outsiders. Individuals are compelled by aranea culture to keep the two identities separate, and never to reveal the aranea's existence to other races. Those who do are considered traitors, and are dealt with harshly and quickly by other aranea.
A revealed aranea will often be hunted by almost everyone in the region (especially by other aranea). However, it may be possible for the character to assume the pose of a "tame" aranea, one who has "converted to the cause of good." But even these characters would suffer from prejudice and hunts by other aranea.
Often, they are cold, calculating, and secretive. They also tend to be suspicious of others, expecting them to have secrets as well.
Their culture produces art that most other sentients find disturbing. Aranea are generally good with cloth, and naturally dominate the silk market with the silk they produce.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Aranea follow the mating customs of the race they emulate, and their love can be quite deep. Parents take good care of their children, to make sure they are given a proper background. Each aranea is taught to emulate its humanoid form from infancy. They believe the form is chosen by fate, and aranea of the same family usually have similar forms (if not, an infant might be sent away to be raised by relatives).
Aranea trying to maintain secrecy will assume demispider form no more than three times per day, as per the Legacies, and the creatures never assume spider form among non-aranea.

Common Taboos

Aranea take great pains to conceal their dual natures, partly because many other races feel animosity toward them, due to their secretive nature and their history. Aranea are taught from birth that they have two, discrete identities, one the spider form, shown only to other aranea, and the other a humanoid form, which law demands must be used to deal with outsiders. Individuals are compelled by aranea culture to keep the two identities separate, and never to reveal the aranea's existence to other races. Those who do are considered traitors, and are dealt with harshly and quickly by other aranea.
A revealed aranea will often be hunted by almost everyone in the region (especially by other aranea). However, it may be possible for the character to assume the pose of a "tame" aranea, one who has "converted to the cause of good." But even these characters would suffer from prejudice and hunts by other aranea.

History

In ancient times the ancestors of the Aranea, large, intelligent spiders, lived in the forests of Yutakaya where they could hunt and hide. They, like many others, were subject to magical manipulation by the Vishkanya and transformed into a creature more useful to them.

Though the aranea's shapechanging ability was originally gained through arcane means, neither form is magical, so a dispel magic spell cast on an aranea in humanoid form does not cause it to revert to spider form.
Because of old stories and legends of their purported evil, aranea are almost universally despised as a sort of "bogeyman".
Most aranea feel they are superior to other races, due to their long history and special abilities.

Common Myths and Legends

Aranea prefer to live in forests, the natural homes of their ancestors, where they can hunt and hide. Few people believe that they still exist, because the creatures are careful to hide their nature, and they are difficult to expose. Because of old stories and legends of their purported evil, aranea are almost universally despised as a sort of "bogeyman".
They believe their humanoid form is chosen by fate, and aranea of the same family usually have similar forms (if not, an infant might be sent away to be raised by relatives).

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Few people believe that they still exist, because the creatures are careful to hide their nature, and they are difficult to expose. Due to old stories and legends of their purported evil, aranea are almost universally despised as a sort of "bogeyman". A revealed aranea will often be hunted by almost everyone in the region (especially by other aranea). It may be possible for one to assume the pose of a "tame" aranea who has "converted to the cause of good," but even these characters would suffer from prejudice and hunts by other aranea.
Aranea take great pains to conceal their dual natures, partly because many other races feel animosity toward them, due to their secretive nature and their history. Law demands that they use their humanoid form to deal with outsiders and never reveal the aranea's existence to other races. Some dwelling among humanoids keep their spellcasting abilities secret, to avoid arousing suspicion.
Most aranea feel they are superior to other races, due to their long history and special abilities. They also tend to be suspicious of others, expecting them to have secrets as well.

Lifespan

25-30 years

Average Height

3 ft 8 in

Average Weight

150 pounds

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

An aranea's humanoid form is chosen very soon after birth, and cannot be changed to another form later. The humanoid form must be the same gender as the aranea. Height, weight, eye color, and hair color are all appropriate to the humanoid type imitated.

Related Materials

• Aranea Silk
• Aranea Venom