Arachnia - "Driders"
Realm: Hellas Underworld
Typical Height Range: Males - 6' to 7'3" /// Females - 6'6" to 8'
Typical Weight Range: Males - 300 to 500 lbs /// Females - 350 to 600 lbs
Center of population: Hades
Estimated population: 70,000 native / 30,000 former human (Hellas, not including underworld)
Physiology
Arachnia could effectively be called spidertaurs, as their upper bodies are primarily human, while their lower bodies appear to consist of an entire giant spider. There is a great deal of variation in how large they are, as well as the build of their arachnid component. Furthermore, sometimes the human part seems entirely human whereas sometimes it has chitin plates or grey skin, or other similar modifications. This being the case, they're difficult to describe broadly, save to identify features. Females are almost always larger than their male siblings, though the females of some types are significantly smaller than males of other types. Both genders can make use of webbing, able to make sticky or dry cables of silk. With tensile strength greater than steel, single strands of usually 1/4" test at 3000 to 5000 pounds. It is not difficult to purchase "spider rope" in or near realms.
Typically, Arachnia are an underworld species, and are consequently adapted to living in a dark, wet habitat. They move extremely well through almost every type of terrain, and on almost every grade.
Natural Magic
-Arachnia possess natural magics inherent to all members that allow their feet to stick to surfaces more readily
-Arachnia have underworld magics inherent to all female members that allow eggs laid into a living being to obtain mental benefits from their host.
Culture
Arachnia, like most underworld and overworld races, are difficult to observe in their home territory, and far more is written about those that live in Hellas. Native arachnia do not seem to have much in the way of a distinct culture because they almost always operate independantly of one another unless brought together for specific tasks under the banner of a particular god or entity, and even then, they do so with raw self-interest in mind. They tend to be brutal and callous, engaging in subterfuge and intimidation even when completely unneccessary, simply for the joy of "watching weaker peoples squirm".
Their interactions when together are almost always hierarchical, with ranking structures based on capability that are uncontestable. A 'superior' murdering an 'inferior' is not out of place within arachnia interactions. And vice versa is only marginally more disruptive.
Roleplay Notes
The arachnia instinct set seems to disconnect former humans from a great deal of their empathy, which has the effect of sharply altering their personalities and pushing them into embracing their new nature more quickly than some other species' mindsets might. It becomes a blurred line as to whether the forcemark is being challenged by the nature of their newfound cruelty, or whether they're challenged by former conscience holding them back. The arachnia forcemark views rules in terms of consequences rather than collaborative enterprise.
References