Fire spiders were a species of spider infused with elemental fire that were native to Conflagratum, the 601st layer of the Abyss.[1]
Description[]
These diminutive spiders had bodies black like coal, laced with streaks of magma and legs that were wholly made of arcane fire.[1]
Behavior[]
These creatures operated in hive minds and delighted in setting things aflame. When set loose in an area they would focus their attention on the most combustible of objects.[1]
Abilities[]
Any combustible material that made contact with a fire spider would be set aflame, including living creatures, thus fire spiders could easily cause rapidly spreading conflagrations. Their fangs were also venomous.[1]
As befitting their fiery nature, fire spiders were very vulnerable to cold.[1] Some believed they were even vulnerable to water or other nonflammable liquids.[2] And due to operating as a hive mind, swarms of them were very suspectible to mind-affecting spells and abilities.[1]
Combat[]
Fire spiders swarm over their next victim.
Multiple swarms of these creatures would work in concert with one another, isolating their prey by encircling them with rings of fire.[1]
History[]
In −2439 DR,[1][2][3] fire spiders arrived on the Prime Material plane for the first time when a group of Maerimydran drow spellcasters based in the Twisted Tower of Ashaba[1] summoned them to set large parts of the southern Rystall Woods on fire, separating it from its northern reaches,[1][2][3] an area that would later become known as the Border Forest. In later centuries, drow would continue to occasionally summon fire spiders in order to set things aflame.[1]
In the Year of Risen Elfkin, 1375 DR, during the Zhentarim invasion of Shadowdale, a drow named Xullrae Dhuurniv summoned a swarm of these spiders on to the Prime Material plane in an effort to set the forest of Cormanthor aflame.[4]
Ecology[]
Habitats[]
Though they originated in the Conflagratum, fire spiders later spread to many other fiery regions of the Abyss. And following their summoning to the Prime Material in -2439 DR, reports suggested that they could occasionally be encountered within the Deep Wastes.[1]
On the Prime Material plane, fire spiders rarely survived or propagated outside of areas in temperate regions that were rich with prey and combustible material, such as forests.[1]
Trivia[]
These spiders could be summoned by spellcasters through use of the spell fire spiders.[2]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Richard Baker, Eric L. Boyd, Thomas M. Reid (July 2007). Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 155–156. ISBN 07-8694-039-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 94. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 34. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Eric L. Boyd, Thomas M. Reid (July 2007). Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 07-8694-039-5.
Connections[]
Magical spiders: Bloodsilk • Electric • Glass • Gaze • Goblin • Pet of Kalistes • Spellgaunt • Steeder
Planar spiders: Demonweb terror • Fire • Myrlochar • Phase • Shadow • Tomb • Vortex
Constructs: Arachnar • Bone spider • Jade spider • Retriever • Spiderwalker • Stone spider
Outsiders: Bebilith • Darkweaver • Greelox • Inferno spider • Red widow • Yochlol
Creations of Lolth: Abyssal widow • Chwidencha • Drider (Vampire) • Shunned
Humanoids: Aranea • Chitine • Choldrith • Ettercap • Werespider
Miscellaneous: Kitthix • Neogi • Rhylfang • Susurrus
Undead spiders: Wraith spider
