Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild

Embéri

Description

The embéri are one of the scarier animals native to the Swamps of Vörövisz. They are taller than a man, with adults reaching up to 3 meters in height. They are often considered a type of very large spider, but that is not technically correct considering they have only four legs. The reason they are called as such is because they share many similarities, such as being able to spin webs and possessing a venomous bite. The poison they inject in others is a neurotoxin that serves purely to immobilize a target and leave them helpless, allowing the embéri to carry their prey back to their web structure and cocoon them. Disturbingly enough, the embéri also have some vaguely humanoid-like traits. They possess a pair of shoulder joints and dangling arms that seem almost like that of a human's, which they use to grab their prey and drag them closer before sinking in their fangs. Their face is also vaguely reminiscent of a mixture between human and insect, and this disturbing visage can paralyze humanoids with fear. Being very large, their anatomy is vastly different from small spiders and closer to that of a reptile with several specialized organs, and secretory organs located in the abdomen rather than the legs. It also no longer has a chitinous exoskeleton, which has transformed into a leathery outer layer that protects from the environment, while it has developed an internal skeleton that provides the structural integrity and protection for its larger body.

Intelligence and Behavior

The embéri are fairly intelligent predators, capable of ambush tactics and being able to gauge what poses a threat and when to back off. They are hostile, obligate carnivores and will hunt nearly anything within their capabilities. They organize in large groups centered around large web structures, most famously the Silkspire, and are known to work well with others from their own species as long as food is plentiful. When it becomes scarce however they are have been known to turn on each other for a meal when they are away from the larger group. They seem to be immune or at the very least strongly resistant to their own venom though, which means they struggle to immobilize another of their kind, which is why it is usually not worth it to try and consume another of their species.