Viciscamera

The Viciscamera was a creature-like monstrosity developed by Saablic Tan of The Legion of the Chimera. It was referred to as a "machine" or "device", and had the power to turn drow into savage, barely sane driders.

Description
The Viciscamera consisted of a giant "heart" and several pods. Within the pods, the drow-to-drider transformation would happen, but it was powered by the heart.

The heart was a malodorous mass of gray-white flesh with a large open mouth with several sharp teeth, which throbbed and pulsed. Each time the Viciscamera convulsed, a foul-smelling odor appeared from its maw. The pods, which looked like silken and damp cocoons, were attached to the heart by fleshy tubes. After the transformation was complete, the pods would burst open, and leak out tubes of flesh.

The heart had a self-defense mechanism, which was to spew out acid fog when attacked. The driders in the attached pods would also awaken and attack. The device had a strong natural defense due to its hard, ensorcelled hide.

A possible weakness of the seemingly invincible device was an enchanted poison to turn the many defenses of the heart against itself. It would seem that only using special giant fungi spores and a silvery fluid with the appearance of liquid webbing could form such a concoction.

History
This device was created by Saablic Tan, of The Legion of the Chimera, in order to have the drider group led by Ginafae Despana ally with them. She accepted the offer, but, after seeing how bloodthirsty and insane the driders became, she came to regret her decision. The device was used to turn drow wizards, fighters, and clerics, mainly from Rilauven, into driders.

Research on the device was continued by Imphraili Asserbai, close to the driders' caverns outside of Rilauven. Her continuation of the project was a success, making the Viciscamera entirely functional and only requiring some biomagical alterations.

Development
Imphraili continued to study the Viciscamera, and made several modifications. The modifications to the pods would affect the nature of the drider produced from the drow host. Some of the experimental lifeforms were:
 * Celeridrider: a twitching male drider that replicated a quickling's pace and metabolism.
 * Spithdrider: a male drider that had the unique ability to cast webs from every leg. This drider wasn't as strong as others, and had a lighter exoskeleton.
 * Cradoldrider: a bloated female drider that carried spiders in her abdomen. This drider was incredibly slow and couldn't spin webs.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale II