Aranea

The araneas (sometimes called "werespiders") were a magical race of sentient, shape-changing spider-like creatures inhabiting the Spider Swamp in Calimshan.

Description
While they were not true lycanthropes, aranea could transform between the appearance of a humanoid and a giant monstrous spider. Their humanoid form was that of a Calishite human, a Calishite half-elf, or, in some rare cases, a drow. The form and gender they could take was fixed at birth.

In their natural form, these creatures appeared to be giant humpbacked spiders with some subtle differences. In this form they also had a pair of short arms ending in many-jointed fingers and double-jointed thumbs, which extended from below their mandibles. Oddly, their brain was not located in their head segment but in a large hump on their back.

Aranea also could take on a third, hybrid form. This form was humanoid, but the aranea bore sharp fangs, had spinnerets in his or her hands, and had four eyes instead of two. On occasion, the hybrid form would also include additional arms, but never more than 8 in total.

Abilities
Aranea were inherently magical beings and could cast a certain number of spells much like a sorcerer or dragon could. They preferred illusion, enchantment, and charm spells and avoided ever casting fire spells.

In hybrid or natural forms, aranea had poisonous bites and could throw webs.

Combat
Aranea tried to avoid combat, but if pressed into it, they would take advantage of their webs and spells, immobilizing or distracting the most powerful opponents first. They would take prisoners and exchange them for ransom rather than killing them.

Personality
Despite their terrifying appearance, the aranea were a peaceful race of beings. They fed on animals and did not prey upon sapient creatures to live. These beings lived far from civilized society, as they are hunted by those who did not understand them.

Society
Aranea society was matriarchal, usually ruled by the queen who gave birth to the community. They would occasionally go into other communities disguised as healers or barbarians to trade or&mdash;when the situation warranted doing so&mdash;take a new mate to prevent inbreeding.

Trade
The aranea, in the disguise of human forms, traded silk, herbs, and poisons with nearby settlements, such as Almraiven and Volothamp. In 1370 DR, a group of them worked secretly for the Silverstars Trading Coster of Saradush.

History
According to legend, the aranea were created by Calishite wizards during the Night Wars to infiltrate the ranks of the drow armies. When the wars ended, the "werespiders" were hunted down and killed or driven into the Spider Swamp. They became a neutral, pacifistic people. Originally, they were only able to change into drow, but after a while, some gained the ability to change into Calishite human or half-elf forms and returned to the human cities incognito as well as spreading out from Calimshan into the wider world. This allowed them to trade their silks, herbs, and poisons with the coastal city of Volothamp.

For a brief time during the Eye Tyrant Wars of the Fifth Age of Calimshan, the aranea ceased their pacifism and joined in the fight against the beholder armies from the Alimir Mountains who were seeking to take over the entire Forest of Mir. The aranea only allied with the Calishite forces long enough to repel the eye tyrants, before the two "allies" turned on each other.

Over 800 years after their banishment, in 290 DR, Qysara Shoon V blamed them for a plague that was ravaging Almraiven. As a result, they were nearly wiped out by Volothamp's military. During this time, some adopted the worship of Zanassu, a demon lord of spiders, for protection and came to inhabit a city that was once called Ajhuutal somewhere in the swamp. The Qysara banished their god back to the Abyss two years later, which led to a gradual degradation of their society while the priests of Zanassu desperately awaited their god's return for the next 1000 years.

When Zanassu did return (or at least a powerful tanar'ri who claimed to be him, since Selvetarm had since defeated Zanassu and stolen his divine essence), his reign of tyranny lasted for 66 years, during which time his agents completely took over Volothamp's government and the aranea became its secret rulers. But when the Time of Troubles came, the demon disappeared without a trace somewhere in the Forest of Mir, combined with the advent of the Darkstalker Wars, this ended the aranea's reign as if it had never happened. His priests went back to desperately awaiting his return, still not knowing that they were actually worshiping Selvetarm while the rest of the aranea became relatively peaceful, though they have been violently expanding their territory into the southern reaches of the Forest of Mir.

Rumors & Legends
Some drow believed that araneas were transformed from drow for failing Lolth, the Spider Queen. Others maintained that araneas were Lolth's first creation before she perfected the drow.

Appearances
Novels
 * Sands of the Soul