#spiderfolk

"I don't know what I am... I don't know why or how I exist. All I know is that I want to find a place to just be."

Class — Druid

Species — Spider-born

They/them

Age — 22

Alignment — Chaotic Neutral

Druidic Focus — Ring containing a sprig of mistletoe

Weapon of Choice — Sickle

Backstory

Deep in a thick wood, in a land distant and small, lived a very unique giant spider—one gifted with high intellect. Though strong in wit and wise beyond her lifespan, she knew well her nature and accepted it with pride. A great beast she was, feared by locals and horrifying in visage.

A beast is not all she wanted to be, however.

Years passed, hunts dragged on—and an egg sac was eventually laid. It held only a single egg, delicate and small, but the spider cared for it as though she had cared for nothing else in the world. She settled by it, guarded it, shielded it from the elements. It was not long before the egg hatched.

It was not a spider that clawed out of the sac.

They were both spider and human—yet neither at once. A creature resembling a human, with the appropriate eyes, arms, face, and hair had been born; though it bore unmistakable pedipalps, chelicerae, beady additional eyes, fur, claws, additional spider-like arms, bent legs that ended in spider-like paws, and a small abdomen protruding from their backside. To many they would have been an abomination, an unexplained anomaly.

To their mother, they were a spider. Thus were they raised as one.

The spider named them Rarri. She kept them in the forest—away from humans, away from anything that wasn’t her. For a time, they were happy.

One particular hunt saw them travel too close to one of the land’s villages. It was then Rarri saw a human for the first time, and understood why they were such an odd-looking spider.

They asked questions. None were answered; not in the way they’d hoped. Their mother insisted they were a spider and only a spider. Humans were nothing but prey animals. They were no prey animal; they were a predator—powerful and fearsome—even if they had yet to grow into that strength.

Rarri knew well they were not one. Though they resigned to be the spider their mother so clearly wanted them to be. At the same time, their curiosity towards their other half never dissipated; it only grew and strengthened as years passed. It eventually grew so strong they learned how to make themself look like one. They learned to conceal their chelicerae behind their lips, tuck their eyes and pedipalps into their face, retract their claws, and hide their other traits under human clothing. Never daring to inform their mother of their exploration of their other half, they practiced hiding their traits in secret.

Years passed. Curiosity for humanity turned to exhaustion of spiderkind. Rarri grew tired of playing the role of a spider, even if they understood it was a part of themself. Other instincts they could never tell their mother they had within them begged to be set free. Every day became a fight to hide their humanity, and every day the fight grew more exhausting.

Upon turning 18 it all coalesced. They could not fight any longer. Quietly, swiftly, they fled the forest while their mother hunted. They never looked back.

Years passed—years of traveling, of learning how humans viewed spiders, of others being horrified of their truth. They never ceased hiding their true self, practicing at every given opportunity, relishing in their humanity. Practice eventually turned into expertise. Expertise never became perfection. As much as they wished otherwise, hiding was physically exhausting. They could only be human for so long before their body began to fight against its restraints.

Even now, as they continue to travel, this truth remains. Rarri knows well they cannot be truly human, but they also understand they are not truly a spider. They only hope they might someday discover what they truly are, and one day find someone who sees all of them.

Personality

Rarri's personality can be summarized in one word: mischievous. Their own anxiety about keeping their spider traits concealed typically prevents them from doing so, but they love pranks and pulling people's legs. Ragebaiting is their favorite hobby.

Despite this, they're very observant and considerate of others' situations. Mischief has limits—Rarri knows this well. They're particularly empathetic to other non-humans in rough situations.

They take no shit from people who use others to their advantage. For instance, they have a deep distaste for the rich and wealthy. Rarri also frequently steals, and typically only go on quests when it benefits them. They like to state they do so out of "survival", though they often steal items they don't need from shops who overcharge or whose owners are rude to them.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

They cannot speak with their spider traits exposed. They can only communicate via chitters and clicks.

They're venemous.

They can indeed produce their own silk. Their spinnerets are hidden under their fur.

All of their clothes are stolen. Any tears caused by their arms or claws uncontrollably revealing themselves are mended using their own silk.

Their sickle is wooden and handcarved by themself.

They have a wheezy laugh that resembles hissing.

While I envision their wild shape forms changing based on the campaign I'm in, one of them will always be a giant wolf spider.

Their wild shape forms all have black and blue fur.

They only like to be pet by people they're very close with.

They purr when this happens.

Their name is Rowan Grimm, they/he

They're a spider person called Anasei, and he's my baby 🥹

I can't say too much more because the other players follow this account 👀

But here's a funny realization I've come to (he's serving sad wet cat)