Driders

Application Only, Sightings Must be by DM.

Description

Creatures of folk legend only, the Drider’s appearance varies by each specimen. There are a group of very distinctive characteristics that link them together as a species, the most notable of such being that they are innately elven-like in the way their upper body and face appears. A Driders hair color is always a shade of black, gray, or white, with no variation ever known to exist. Their skin is most commonly anywhere from a dark inky black, to a pure porcelain white and anywhere in between, yet colors such as red and even varying shades of blue have been sighted. These colors however always correlate to their lower half, which consists of an exceedingly large spider body. This body is much larger than their human one in comparison to the length of their legs, most of the time Driders have six to eight legs, but it varies by each breed of spider. The females stand at a height of 6 to 8 feet when walking normally, however when stretched out for length they can reach anywhere from 9 to 10 feet. The males are considerably smaller, only reaching average heights of 5 to 6 feet, and a total length of 7 to 8 feet when measuring to their thorax.

A Drider's face can range from anywhere to monstrous to beautiful, yet the former is reserved for men and the latter for women. They are able to open their mouth in a grotesque manner, the corner of their lips splitting open in order to have two ‘mouths’ or flaps open from their cheeks all the way up to their cheekbone. The flesh sticks out almost like tusks, drifting downwards and closing inwards to the center of their lips. Their jaw functions as normal despite the bizarre characteristics of their face, allowing them to fully engulf their preys entire head within their mouth in one deadly bite with razor sharp teeth. Male Driders have been known to have four arms, as well as sometimes the rare female. These second pair of arms are located below the first, but they have limited mobility compared to their upper ones.

Their origins are unclear, yet scholars dedicated to authenticity often report a very similar story to one another. Supposedly created from a Vikret blessed gone mad, born from divine magic and alchemy alike in the depths of the world. Often explained as a torturous procedure, those turned into what are now called Driders were former prisoners, competing in competitions with one another in order to win their freedom from the mad woman who had kept them. Those who won would be released, granted their freedom yet those who lost underwent the experimentation. Ultimately, the Vikret blessed had amassed too many of these spider prisoners to keep under control, as her very first creation swallowed the Vikret blessed whole with the mouth that had developed from the Driders Glasgow smile.

Distribution

Rare. The Drider is not seen with others of its species, save for the very scarce woman with one of her offspring, the one that she had deemed the most promising. Men are even more scarce than women, as they are often consumed right after breeding season for the female to have proper nutrients to lay her eggs. While she may lay up to 100 eggs at any time, it is rare that half will survive, and most commonly only an eighth of the litter will make it to adulthood. Although she may only lay two liters of eggs safely in a lifetime, as the third is always fatal.

Habitat

Enjoying warm climates, as well as dark spaces, the Drider is able to be found most commonly in caves located near sources of warmth. They can be found in the desert, or forests, but rarely ever in places that snow often. Strangely enough, Driders are often found in small dungeons, surrounded by traps and ambushes of a varying type. Most commonly, these “dungeons” were built by the Drider, as they have a knack for creating a home protected by traps, but some have been known to live in large dungeons that they did not create and may have only renovated.

Diet

Carnivorous. The Drider eats exclusively meat, be it other Driders, including but not limited to their own offspring, or simply animals. The Drider will eat anything that it is able to, but only when it hungers. They are however known to save their prey for later, keeping it alive and wrapped in webbing until the Drider is ready to consume their prey, human, animal, or otherwise.

Relations

Varying. The Drider is most commonly seen to be fanatical, often lacking feeling and care for other beings save for themselves. They are commonly cruel and sadistic, yet females will mask their true intentions behind a veil of beauty and feigned compassion. Males are the most violent due to their lack of beauty, though their grotesque appearing face only emphasizes the reactions of disgust and fear. A Drider will almost never be seen in a pair, unless it is mating season, a group of young Drider siblings, or a mother is protecting a child that she has deemed willing to look after. Most commonly, mothers will abandon their eggs and never look back, when a Drider is actively caring for their offspring they are almost always compassionate. When one finds a compassionate Drider it is almost surprising as to how much knowledge they hold, despite the fact that they can only live as long as a dark elf.

Mechanics

• Driders possess the ability to create webbing from their spinnerets located at the end of their abdomen.
  • This webbing is extremely sticky, able to trap even well bodied orc men in their grasp. So much as touching the web would mean for the inability to remove it. However, it is rather weak to fire, and able to be scrubbed free with very soapy water.
• Able to climb onto any surface with their legs, be it flat or otherwise, and stick there indefinitely.
• They have a special set of four teeth, two on top and two on bottom, that are much larger than the rest of their razor sharp canines. These fangs contain venom within them that can paralyze its victim for up to [6 OOC hours] per bite.
  • Immune to poison.
• Dark vision, sharper senses than elves.
• Incredibly intelligent and sentient.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier