Arachnids
The Extra-Terrestrial Ingens Coronatus Mantodea, known colloquially as "Arachnids", were the primary civilised space faring species encountered by humans. They were systematically relocated, resettled, and eventually, exterminated by the earliest humans, and were effectively extinct from the galaxy long before written human history began.
Despite being known as arachnids, they are not of the arachnid family at all, but are in fact giant forms of Mantis'. They became the Apex predators of their home world, but were generally docile and non-violent creatures. The arachnids actual physical body is not well recorded, due to the usage of armour by the species, but they presumably have an exoskeleton and their eyes are believed to be compound eyes.
The Arachnids discovered interstellar travel and interplanetary travel via Solar Sails and "Keypoints", anchored points in space which make navigation possible at FTL travel. As a result, Arachnid culture remained largely agrarian as there were no competitors for galactic dominance, and most worlds were hardy and tough to survive on. Tens of Thousands of years spent on harsh worlds created subspecies (Similar to ethnicities or races) based on their environments, and the Arachnid species became genetically diverse but extremely tough.
Compared to humans , arachnids are extremely large, with smaller individuals being above 7 feet tall, while some larger individuals exceed 9 feet. Arachnids have four legs arranged in a circular fashion, with a humanoid torso sporting two arms, with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. their head is an elongated triangle, sporting two front facing eyes. Their exoskeletons are extraordinarily tough, mimicking sturdy metal alloys, with their makeshift armour providing even more protection, rendering the average arachnid all but immune to arrows and unaided sword attacks. Gunpowder, or any equivalent, was not present on the Arachnid Homeworld, and as a result the internal combustion engine, and by extension firearms, were never discovered, leading to Arachnid weaponry being melee and arrow focussed. Polearms are the most commonly used weapons, with wrist-mounted projectiles also being widespread.
All Arachnids are also born with an innate magical ability. It is unknown how this magical source was discovered, but all arachnids are inherantly magical beings. This magic was supposedly granted to them by their deities, and particular adherants to specific gods were granted greater powers. Although not the same, this magical art was taught to the humans, which allowed a few to inherit some powers. Most Arachnids are bound by a code of conduct which dictates respect for nature, land, and all living creatures. As a result, Arachnids progressed from being Apex predators to being largely vegan creatures, and it was expressely forbidden to use magic in any martial or combat sense. This fact was later exploited by humans, who deliberately destroyed the arachnids ancestral food supplies and fought the Arachnids without fear of having magic used against them.
Before humans arrived, the arachnid population was relatively small, numbering around 10 billion. Arachnids have extremely long lives and are extremely resistant to disease and poisons, but their extremely vulnerable state of infancy leads to many deaths before maturity, keeping the population low. Since fleeing, the arachnids number in the hundreds of thousands, a shadow of their former selves, but retaining strong connections to the land and their magic.
The remnants of the Arachnids in the galaxy are scarce, due to the deliberate effort of humans to erase their existence. Certain sites of Magical importance, such and those on Hearth, are connected to the Arachnids. Arachnid burial sites have the unique and unknown side effect of improving the chances of psychically sensitive children being born nearby, and consistent exposure can nurture and enhance existing psychic abilities. Certain magical effects still exist on worlds, such as forests with dancing lights, omens of death, or illusions creating infinite mazes. however, any physical remains of the Arachnid people vanished long ago, either eroded and returned to nature, or destroyed over the centuries of countless wars.
The only complete undisturbed Arachnid structure in the galaxy known to humans is a single Cenotaph, which was supposedly built by ancient humans to honour a Spider God, and was speculated to be the origin of the Arachnids as mythological creatures. Several documents catalogue the first contact and subsequent policy on Arachnids at the grand station, but these records remain unuseable.
Despite being known as arachnids, they are not of the arachnid family at all, but are in fact giant forms of Mantis'. They became the Apex predators of their home world, but were generally docile and non-violent creatures. The arachnids actual physical body is not well recorded, due to the usage of armour by the species, but they presumably have an exoskeleton and their eyes are believed to be compound eyes.
The Arachnids discovered interstellar travel and interplanetary travel via Solar Sails and "Keypoints", anchored points in space which make navigation possible at FTL travel. As a result, Arachnid culture remained largely agrarian as there were no competitors for galactic dominance, and most worlds were hardy and tough to survive on. Tens of Thousands of years spent on harsh worlds created subspecies (Similar to ethnicities or races) based on their environments, and the Arachnid species became genetically diverse but extremely tough.
Compared to humans , arachnids are extremely large, with smaller individuals being above 7 feet tall, while some larger individuals exceed 9 feet. Arachnids have four legs arranged in a circular fashion, with a humanoid torso sporting two arms, with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. their head is an elongated triangle, sporting two front facing eyes. Their exoskeletons are extraordinarily tough, mimicking sturdy metal alloys, with their makeshift armour providing even more protection, rendering the average arachnid all but immune to arrows and unaided sword attacks. Gunpowder, or any equivalent, was not present on the Arachnid Homeworld, and as a result the internal combustion engine, and by extension firearms, were never discovered, leading to Arachnid weaponry being melee and arrow focussed. Polearms are the most commonly used weapons, with wrist-mounted projectiles also being widespread.
All Arachnids are also born with an innate magical ability. It is unknown how this magical source was discovered, but all arachnids are inherantly magical beings. This magic was supposedly granted to them by their deities, and particular adherants to specific gods were granted greater powers. Although not the same, this magical art was taught to the humans, which allowed a few to inherit some powers. Most Arachnids are bound by a code of conduct which dictates respect for nature, land, and all living creatures. As a result, Arachnids progressed from being Apex predators to being largely vegan creatures, and it was expressely forbidden to use magic in any martial or combat sense. This fact was later exploited by humans, who deliberately destroyed the arachnids ancestral food supplies and fought the Arachnids without fear of having magic used against them.
Before humans arrived, the arachnid population was relatively small, numbering around 10 billion. Arachnids have extremely long lives and are extremely resistant to disease and poisons, but their extremely vulnerable state of infancy leads to many deaths before maturity, keeping the population low. Since fleeing, the arachnids number in the hundreds of thousands, a shadow of their former selves, but retaining strong connections to the land and their magic.
The remnants of the Arachnids in the galaxy are scarce, due to the deliberate effort of humans to erase their existence. Certain sites of Magical importance, such and those on Hearth, are connected to the Arachnids. Arachnid burial sites have the unique and unknown side effect of improving the chances of psychically sensitive children being born nearby, and consistent exposure can nurture and enhance existing psychic abilities. Certain magical effects still exist on worlds, such as forests with dancing lights, omens of death, or illusions creating infinite mazes. however, any physical remains of the Arachnid people vanished long ago, either eroded and returned to nature, or destroyed over the centuries of countless wars.
The only complete undisturbed Arachnid structure in the galaxy known to humans is a single Cenotaph, which was supposedly built by ancient humans to honour a Spider God, and was speculated to be the origin of the Arachnids as mythological creatures. Several documents catalogue the first contact and subsequent policy on Arachnids at the grand station, but these records remain unuseable.
Scientific Name
Ingens Coronatus Matodea
Origin/Ancestry
Unknown
Lifespan
13,000 years
Conservation Status
Extinct within the Mercia Galaxy, critically endangered within the Deep Blue Stretch
Average Height
213cm - 295cm
Geographic Distribution
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments