Araneons

An sapient species descended from arachnids, native to the desert plant of Araneo.

They are an unusually diverse species, and even siblings might be so physically different from one another that a layman would struggle to recognise them as members of the same species.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They are usually broadly humanoid, possessing somewhere between four and eight limbs: usually two legs, and two-six arms.

All Araneons possess a silk gland, and the ability to spin webs, although those who have left Araneo rarely use the ability.

Similiarly to their bodies, their faces are broadly human-like in appearance, but with a great deal of variation. They have somewhere between two and eight eyes, with four being the most common. Their mouths are similar to other humanoid species, but many possess bone spurs on their cheeks or chin, relics of the mandibles of their ancestors.

Genetics and Reproduction

They are oviporous, laying eggs. Fertilisation happens during sexual intercourse, after which the eggs are laid and mature outside of the mother's body.

Unlike their arachnid ancestors, they usually lay only one or two eggs at a time, with clutches larger than three being extremely rare, and over five unheard of.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are obligate carnivores.

While most can eat solid food, there is a strong preference even among those with the least arachnid physiology for soft or liquid food, and their swallowing muscles tend to be extremely weak, making it easy for them to choke on solid foods.

While not a dietary requirement, they mostly have a strong preference for well aged or even rotting meat, and they are immune to most diseases contractable from eating carrion.

While it is not a common practise, they have no cultural taboo against cannibalism, and killing and eating other Araneous in times of famine or seige is considered perfectly moral.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They possess a low-level telepathic ability which works only on other members of their own species, which they refer to as the subweb. This doesn't allow them to read minds, but they can sense emotions and some surface level desires or instincts.

Their sense of smell is extremely acute, and they primarily perceive the world via smell, with sight and hearing secondary. Their eyes are powerful, but they process information slowly compared to their thoughts or other senses, so most prefer to rely on them only when static.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

All Araneous living on Araneo are part of a dense subweb that is almost a hive-mind, governed by the absolute ruler of the species, Orb Weaver.
Geographic Origin
Araneo, Ovida System, Burning Galaxy
Lifespan
350-400 years
Representatives
Corvus Glaive
Cull Obsidian