This installment of the My First Monster Manual blog series is the Arachmaid.
Environment: Dense Forests
Monster Type: Arachnid Humanoid
Color: Purple Skin and Carapace, Orange Stripes, Blonde Hair
Features: Upper body and head of a woman, Lower body and legs of a spider, Eight eyes
Abilities: Web Spinning, Climbing, Stealth, Heightened Vision, Web Tremor Sense
Recommended Equipment: Sharp blades to cut or an Alchemical substance to dissolve webs
Introduction:
The Arachmaid is another type of human monster hybrid, similar to a centaur or mermaid. Combining the segmented body and eight legs of a spider with the torso, arms, and head of a woman. Like most spiders the abdomen segment of the Arachmaid’s body has spinnerets capable of producing an extremely strong silk. The silk is versatile for many applications. It can be made sticky, to cling and capture prey, or as a defensive trap to discourage predators. The silk is also highly valuable to make master crafted trade products such as cloths and rope. Arachmaid’s are extremely capable ambush hunters, hiding high in the trees and using their web tremor sense to detect when best to strike. The multiple sets of eyes give them a wide and keen sense of sight.
Investigation:
It didn’t take long before we started to see signs of what we were looking for deep in Bog Wallow Forest. Other than its diverse mushroom variety Bog Wallow Forests is also know as the home of Orb Weaving Arachmaids, a spider human hybrid monster. As we traveled along, the webs appeared more frequently, criss crossing between the trees. The deeper we went the more dense the webs became. We reached a point where our progress slowed as the webs began blocking the path. With only a small knife each, it became increasingly challenging to clear the path forward. Hacking away at one section of web, the sleeve of my coat got caught by a sticky clump. Like a spring it pulled my arm further into the sticky mass of the web. In a panic I thrashed about getting myself even more entangled.
Observations:
My assistant took a step back to assess the best way to free me. Just over my assistant’s shoulder a spider humanoid descended from the upper canopy in complete silence. It was one of the Orb Weaving Arachmaids we were looking for. My speech of a warning got caught in my throat. The Arachmaid spoke a timid sounding hello that frightened my assistant into a leap hopelessly tangling both of us in the web. Lilith, the Arachmaid, let out a slight giggle while pulling a vase with her brewed chemical concoction behind. We held still as she poured the concoction on the web easily freeing us. She was slightly taller than an average sized man and not quite as long as a horse. It was clear Lilith doesn’t get a lot of visitors. As soon as we were free, she invited us to join her for tea. She led us safely through the webs in the woods to the burrow where she lives. She was kind enough to entertain our curiosity and answer some questions. Lilith explained her two central eyes are similar to a human. But the other six provide a desaturated, almost colorless, view of all around her. Although they aren’t good for distinguishing details, they are excellent at detecting motion.
Conclusion:
After the tea and a modest meal, Lilith let us stay the night and make camp at her burrow. In the morning she agreed to lead us out of Bog Wallow Forest so we wouldn’t get entangled in any more webs. Thankful for our company, Lilith, in one final act of kindness, gifted us with some of her own crafted silk rope and two silk hammocks.
About:
Lilith the Arachmaid is part of our “My First Monster Manual” blog series where we feature each of the monsters we are considering for inclusion in our new children’s book. Click here to learn more info on My First Monster Manual.
Artist: Spencer Johnson – spencemonger.com
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