Greeting the Harvestmen

In towns that border Os Durath's (and northern Rak Durath's) forests, particularly some small villages in the Wildwoods and Wimbourne, there is a large spider that ventures out of the forest in autumn. Called the Harvestmen by the villagers, the spiders range in size from about 4 feet tall to about 12 feet tall, and have legspans of anywhere from 8 to 30 feet. Despite its height, Harvestmen have spindly legs and very small bodies; the largest ever reported had a body length of around 2 1/2 feet, a specimen lovingly referred to as "Spinach" that lived for many years in the village of Veridan in the Wildwoods.   It has been reported that when the Harvestmen first appeared, the villagers feared they would be eaten by the creatures, so offerings were made to the spiders to keep them at bay. Among the first things offered were mutton, fish, oats and barley cakes, which the Harvestmen seemed to pay no mind to.   Despite the villagers' fear, the Harvestmen paid no mind to them, sprawling in fields and on thatched rooftops to drink the morning dew and soak up the late-autumn sunshine. After some time, the villagers began to offer other gifts to the spiders, which they seemed to enjoy and would take back to the forest with them when the sun rose too high in the sky. Glass beads, coins, handkerchiefs, maps and books would elicit a response from the Harvestmen, who would extend their front two legs towards the villager and lower their body, as if in a bow.   It became tradition to greet the Harvestmen with a gift when they first emerged from the forest, and furthermore to bow deeply when one crossed their paths.   There are some, particularly travelers, who look at the whole tradition as terribly outdated. After all, what need is there to appease a creature that has never shown any aggression towards the villagers? But those who've lived on the edge of the forest feel there is merit to keeping up relations with their giant neighbors, and enjoy the task of creating a new gift each year.