Aranea


 * The creatures appears to be a mosntrous spider, but has two small human-like arms below its mandibles.

Introduction
Araneas are an intelligent species of shape changers, with sorcerous abilities. They appear as large spiders in their natural form. Though they can be frightening at first if seen in their natural or hybrid forms, they are neutral, and will never harm another being without being harmed first. They are found all over the Magickverse, but most people never know that they just talked to an aranea since they tend to travel in their humanoid form. Araneas are nuetral in all matters. They hold loyalty to no one. They prefer to be left alone to their own devices. An Aranea weighs about one-hundred and fifty pounds. The hump on its back houses its brain.

Languages
Araneas speak Aranea, Sylvan, and Common, and frequently whatever languages are common where they live.

Names
Araneas native tongue is unspeakable by most species, so they choose a name that fits their humanoid form.

Lands
Araneas came from the dead world of Isha. Isha’s sun burned out over a millenia ago. Araneas had just discovered the secrets of realm transportation, and escaped death on their world. Now they hail from all parts of the Magickverse.

The Art of War
Araneas realize that they would be looked upon as mosters by many of the galaxy, so theirs is a life of solitude and, at times, paranoia. They are excellent spies and assassins, and will work as such for the highest bidder. Brave araneas tend to kidnap nobles and other important people for large ransoms. In direct dombat, an aranea avoids physical combat and uses its webs and spells when it can. In a battle, it tries to immobilize or distract the most aggressive opponents first.

Araneas possess a potent poison that they can inflict on another by bite, the poison subdues them in about a half hour and causes them to fall into a deep coma-like sleep according to how much of the venom is in their system. A worst case scenario can result in the coma being permanent.

In their spider or hybrid form, an aranea can spin a web. They use this to achor a target in place, allowing no movement. However, like the web of a mundane spider, it is incredibly vulnerable to fire.

An Aranea's most notorious ability is its ability to change shape. In addition to their natural monstrol spider form, it can assume two others. The first is a humanoid form, of whatever species they can choose. Though it is always the same appearance, much like that of a Lycanthrope. However, in this form they are not capable of using their web or poisonous bite. Their second form is a spider-humanoid hybrid. At first glance, they will appear to be a normal humanoid, though if you examine for a momentone will notice the creature's fangs and spinnerets. An aranea remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. The change cannot be dispelled, though magic can be used to force a change. If an aranea is killed when in a form other than its normal one, it does not revert like other species of shape shifters might. A True Seeing spell does reveal its natural form, if it is in humanoid or hybrid form.

Appearance
In its natural form, an aranea resembles a big spider, with a humpbacked body a little bigger than human torso. It has fanged mandibles like a normal spider. Two small arms, each about two feet long, lie below the mandibles. Each arm has a hand with four many-jointed fingers and a double-jointed thumb.