Arachnids
Arachnid Spider-Like Person Representing The Arachnid Race Of People.
Description
Arachnids formally Arachne are Spiderlike people who are similar to the Centaur Race where instead of a Horse Body they have a Spider Body. Their top half can be more or less pretty humanoid-like, it can have all the features that designate them as pretty or they can be more spider-like with claws and spikes. Their top half is composed of a skeletal spine and shoulder bones and muscles which are controlled naturally by the Arachnid. Even though they are human-like or elf-like in their top halves, they do not possess entire bodies composed of organs and a ribcage in their top half. Their normal body functions are housed in their lower part and extended into their human half. The human half is more aesthetically pleasing allowing them to fit into modern society, and this allows for the usage of tools and armor without the need to fully protect them since it is just blood vessels, muscles, tendons, and skeletal bones. The Arachnids have a similar life cycle of a spider with the longevity of both races combined. The Arachnid Queen will lay various forms of eggs, each with a different purpose. They can lay a large mass of spider eggs in a silk net which are smaller ball sized eggs which can hatch into 2-3 spiderlings which are the size of small animals. The larger eggs they lay become nested as it is laid on a large netting of silk threads. These eggs will hatch into a single Arachnid, Arachnid Warrior, Arachnid Harvester, or into a future Arachnid Queen. The Arachnids are intelligent and are the top of the Spider food chain as they tower in size compared to most of them while also using tools and technology. Arachnids like their spider counterparts molt their carapaces when they grow in size and or power. They begin life as a Pale White color with some features unique to their diverse races within. The Primals have sharp spikes and protrusions while the Stoneweavers will have entire chunks of earth and rocks which act as armor. Each Arachnid will have their individual features and characteristics in their respective sections below after their historical section. Arachnids as a spider-like species are born as a pale white and each time they molt their carapace strengthens and grows a shade darker. The adults are of a grey color as the ancient spiders are of a black color. However it has been seen that after reaching the black color, they will evolve into a white color once more but they will have unique patterns of a black hue. As they molt once again the markings will lighten and once they reach the black stage once more their markings will be white. This applies to all species and factions under the Arachnid people.
Species And Faction
Species:
There are 4 major species of Arachnids that have been discovered and exist within The Astarian Empire.
Standard: These Spiders and Arachnids are the common ones across the vast galaxy. They come in all different sizes and colors as well as having standard and common skills and abilities.
Long Legs: Called Long Legs due to their large height and large long lanky legs which allows them to stride across the area much higher and faster than other spiders and Arachnids. When in close or tight spaces their legs will fold down allowing them to be the same height as the other spiders and Arachnids. This has become commonplace and many of them don’t realize they have a double leg or folded legs until they stand tall and stretch their limbs. These Spiders and Arachnids can use Greater Leap. They leap greater distances and climb mountains with ease. Other populations will even use the non-intelligent ones as ridable mounts.
Crawlers: These Spiders and Arachnids have smaller bodies with their leg joints coming from the top instead of the bottom. Their legs are much thicker and heavily armored as they can form a wall of sorts in front of them or around them as they tuck in their bodies. More unsettling but not as much as the Spiders and Arachnids which have humanoid-like arms for legs.
Armed Legs: These spiders and Arachnids have an unsettling feature which replaces their legs with articulating joints and arms. An extremely unsettling nightmare which many modern day horror genres use in their differing medias for the general populace's enjoyment. These spiders are fast and agile as their long boney fingers grip into the surface they traverse.
Factions:
The Arachnid people mass together in broods on various worlds. Although they may be different from one another in slight ways like their carapace being different colors to resist the elements of the world, their specific brood remains nearly unchanged. The main Arachnid race is made up of 3 major species; The Primals, The Infused, and The Stoneweavers.
The Primals:
The Primals are an Arachnid group that developed as the standard Arachnid or Spider-Person. They are agile and able to walk on webs and scale walls with ease. Their top humanoid bodies allow for them to use equipment and tools allowing for them to build a strong society made from buildings made with their webs. Their network of webs allow them to communicate and to respond to threats quickly, this has allowed for their society to grow massive in size. As many of them are female, they will lure men in with their top half to devour them and use their genetic codes to lay eggs. Although they may use their bodies in a non carnivorous way to receive genetic codes, they tend to produce much less eggs and therefore unless needed in society by their rules and regulations they will devour prey. The Primals are large and aggressive as they consume anything which stands in their way through bloodshed, battle, and a hunger unknown to others.
The Infused:
The Infused are an Arachnid group that developed deep into the magic caverns and near magic sources. They are distinct in the fact they have the same bodies as the regular Arachnid people but have crack-like markings across their bodies which have a slow humming glow of magical power. The color denotes their main magic affinity and the brightness denotes their power. They have become one with magic and magic powers that flow through their bodies. Although their birth rate is lower than the other spiders and Arachnids, they are much more powerful and can cast various magical abilities based on their affinity. Their thirst for knowledge has led them to learn and study the world and magic around them as they will defend themselves with a mass amount of magical skills, abilities, and spells.
The Stoneweavers:
Going with their ancient Spider Arachnid Creatures as a base for genetic mutation, the Stoneweavers were birthed in the deepest of caves. From the earth they come, they are smaller than their ancient counterparts as these Arachnids are smaller standing only 4-5 meters with stone skin and rocky features. They are dark in complexion as they blend into the earth around them. They are excellent hunters and seekers of all non magical things. Their curiosity is what leads them into various combative situations as they are always eager to learn and to consume their enemies. They enjoy small wars with the Primals due to the Primals instincts of brutality and devouring.
The Arachnids Of Faltrop
On the nearby world of Faltrop, in the Arachaea System a new breed of Arachnids rises to power unknown to the others. There exist 3 new groups of spiders and Arachnids, The Metalisks, The Toxins, and The Sea Eaters who have evolved on their own on this nearby world.
The Metalisks:
From scavenging their meals from the cave walls they have been ingesting large amounts of metals which have undergone a magical reaction within their bodies causing them to evolve becoming smaller and heavier. Their carapace is armor made from steel itself with markings that absorb spell damage as they can easily walk off almost all forms of damage. They are a smaller size yet their strength and speed remain the same as the others. They can stop moving and cuddle up, thickening their skin to resist damages being made of metal, they will rotate violently and stick their metal legs out to defend themselves and to turn them into very strong sharp spikes on a spinning top.
The Toxins:
Birthed in the poison pools of the deep caverns they are of a greenish hue and they have poisonous spikes protruding from their bodies. They have the ability to coat their weaponry in poison, dealing poison damage on all attacks causing the enemy to slowly lose their constitution and endurance dealing more and more poison damage over time. Everything about themselves is poison and toxic for all races as they are unique weapons. They can balloon themselves to explode after filling their body with a liquid acid which is extremely toxic to biological life.
The Sea Eaters:
The Sea Eaters are a unique group as they are covered in barnacles and sea life as they live and nest within the coasts and oceans. They will bury themselves in the sand and emerge as if they are using trap doors to hunt their prey. They are excellent ambush hunters as they can shoot small projectile magic blasts from their hands to knock air targets out of the skies. Although they are called Sea Eaters as it pays homage to their origin, they are more like Trapdoor Arachnids. They excel at hunting in deserts and sand as their carapace will take up the nearby terrain as a natural camouflage. The Sea Eaters are able to shoot a spine or inject with a bite, a paralysis causing substance which makes the target's body immobile for a short time. Their secretion is used in many different goods as they regularly sell their secretion for extra money when they are able to. They can store a large amount of the substance and in extreme dire situations will rapidly make the substance to help them survive. Many times their secretions are used as drugs and medicines to treat large amounts of situations across the Galaxy. Due to how condensed and pure their secretion is it is more beneficial to buy it from them than it is to make the substance in a large quantity, it is not cost effective to add all the extra vitamins and minerals that occur naturally.
Culture
Arachnid Culture:
The Arachnid people have a short lived culture which focuses mainly on the hunting of their prey and carrying a large egg sac to make their own small swarm. Within the Empire, many of these Arachnid people have stopped reproducing and instead focused on building the normal emotional and physical attachments to another. In cases of dire or extreme hostilities the spider can use some genetic code to rapidly grow some large non-intelligent spider servants who will fight for and serve their masters. They live in nested buildings and focus on non skill work to become a very adept worker at non skilled labor focused jobs. Many become rogue adventurers or go into the Demonic army to serve on the battlefields for their demon masters to summon and use their skills.
Astarian Empire's Thoughts
After discovering these arachnid people on Archaea, they began to investigate the nearby worlds in the system and find even more Arachnids or spider people on a nearby world. The Astarian Empire has brought them into the fold and the nearby Arachnid people. They serve as adventurers, summons, vanguard, and assault troops within the Astarian Empire. They are a highly mobile calvary like race which consumes all life in their endless hunger. Although the Arachnids are not strong individually, they command small hordes of spiders and will overwhelm their enemies.
After The Cataclysmic Shift
After the Great Cataclysmic Shift a few new broods of spiders-like creatures have begun to spring up on various worlds increasing the population and people around the galaxy. These new races have begun claiming their own independence from the various races they belong to as they begin to pull away from their roots.
The Skorpids
A new breed of Spider-like people which were developed from the larger Scorpion populations on the newly changed desert world of Skorpal. The lush greenery has turned into a vitamin rich dust which has helped the populace grow rapidly. They have a changed body with strong natural energy and magic resistant armor. They are one of the many various groups which have begun to terrorize the Empire at a greater scale.
The Archa
A sub breed of Arachnid Primals which took on the more beautiful side. They are humanoid in nature with large spider legs coming from their back shoulder areas allowing them to fully use tools and equipment while also gaining all the bonuses of spider traversal and movement. The Archa are a new branch of The Primals and developed alongside other humanoid people as they began to repress their spider traits for a better chance at creating offspring. This came with side effects like emotions, hormones, and the new found love they discovered through self identity and lack of communion of the spider people. They are the best middle ground as they act and love like man with some spider-like traits.
Race Stats In Other Media
Race Stat Chart:
Arachnid Stat Chart:
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HP-M STR-M END-L
MP-L DEX-M INT-L
SP-M MAG-L WIS-L
VIT-M PAM-M LUK-L
CON-M MAM-L EVS-L
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Playing Arachnids In TTRPG and or RPG Games:
In most Role Playing Games, Arachnids are seen as combat focused highly mobile assault specialists. They have advanced combat abilities, and decent resistances. Although Arachnids use most forms of equipment on their top half, they don’t use them on their bottom half which makes them weaker than races that have armor or scales.
Playing Arachnids In Turn Based Strategy and or RTS Games:
In most strategy games Arachnids are seen as Calvary Ambush Units that excel at short burst combat situations. A squad of them may completely destroy an entire enemy platoon if they can get the jump on them in close combat. The Arachnids can use leaps and poisons to render their opponents armor to nothing.