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Gralatars — Description
When it comes to the jungle and rainforests, there are always mention of primordial tribes that live within the dense vegetation. Civilizations that have existed for centuries without the outside world's knowledge, entire societies coming and going with nary a word. Those who dare delve into these deep forests may find ruins of these ancient times, but unlike our world such places are not left to rot. Much like the jungle, life and death is a constant flow, and there is no time for dwelling on the past. The husks of these old societies are used by those that live now, using whatever they can to survive in these harsh land. Long ago, these lands may have been ruled by some other species, but today, the jungle belongs to the Gralatar and the Furceros. This entry, though, will be focusing on the Gralatar!

Though their appearance may be confusing at first, Gralatar are actually a species of large spiders. They possess the eight limbs and two body sections that other arachnids have, but they carry themselves in quite the unique way. Rather than walk on all eights, they use their front four limbs as legs, and the other four as arms. They walk with their heads faced downwards, while their abdomens are raised up in the air. People may not realize this at first, though, as their unique patterns give quite the different impression! The coloration on the abdomen of a Gralatar gives the look of a face or some mask-like visage of one. With their abdomens raised into the place a head should be, most people mistake these patterns as their true face, which has led to years of confusion and misinterpretation. For a long period of time, the Gralatars were seen as a tribe of demonic masked warriors, as people were not aware that their true heads were much lower. I would say that such a belief is silly, but it turns out that the Gralatar's body shape is designed to give this impression! The false face is meant to throw predators and attackers off, making it confusing on where their line of sight is. It also causes foes to unintentionally target the abdomen rather than the head during a fight, which draws attention and fire away from their weaker section. Attackers who drop from the tree limbs down will also wind up hitting the abdomen before the head, giving the Gralatar time to retaliate. It is quite a design, though it still kind of throws me off! I can't tell you how many times I have found myself trying to converse with one and have wound up trying to make eye contact with their rear.

While some may see these creatures as just more giant dumb bugs, the Gralatar are actually a rather intelligent group that have banded together into tribes. By using webbing, branches and bone, they craft entire "villages" for them to reside in. Some of them are built in the tree limbs above, creating a town of webbed pods and silky walkways. Others are shaped in the remains of ancient societies, using the stone ruins as fortifications and support. Each village contains multiple spherical pods that the males use for sleeping, while one large central nest is where the few females reside. Near this giant nest are thickly bound cocoons that hold prey and food, which they store for later consumption. Often these webbed carcasses are embedded with wooden spikes and thorns, which is meant to ward off scavengers, but also works in defending their nests during attacks. By pulling the right strings and webs, these organic maces will swing wildly about, often bashing attackers or impaling them. In fact, a lot of these nests are covered in thorny vines and sharpened points. The Gralatar are quite clever when it comes to traps and defenses, as they rely on them to keep away predators and intruders. I have seen them use thin webbing to make tripwires, which will snap and cause wooden spears or hefty rocks to drop from above. Another is a simple pitfall that is covered by a thin, sticky web. Covered with foliage and dirt, no one will notice until they fall through. The added bonus is the sticky webbing that will tangle them as they plummet, creating a nicely bound morsel by the time it hits the floor. One of the most complicated I have ever seen is the use of a sheet of webbing that lays on ground level, right above a very shallow trough. When someone walks on it, the web will sink but not break. What it does, though, is cause the webbing to pull taut, which stretches hidden strands. The pull on these strands will dislodge wooden blocks, releasing swinging hammers, blades or other nasty tools. These booby trapped nests make it unwise to enter their homes uninvited, and it has also created the popular notion of deadly jungle traps that you see so often in books and stories.

When it comes to the spiders themselves, it is quite easy to tell the difference between males and females. Males are smaller than the females, with shorter rounder abdomens and a more vibrant color scheme. Females have abdomen that are taller and more curved. In their tribes, there are only a few females present. The ratio is usually five males to one female, which makes them much more important and valuable. In fact, females are the ones who often call the shots, taking on the role of leader and chief. Males serve as hunters and warriors, going out to hunt and gather while the females maintain the village. One of the things that drives the village is the desire to be the selected mate for the breeding season. During this time, each female will select one male as a mate, which is seen as a great honor. Each female has their own preference for who they think is a worthy mate, so it gives every male a chance to be picked. This leads to males working to impress them and win their favor, causing them to work extra hard in the village or try to topple big game to present to the ladies. An interesting result from this is that male Gralatars become quite committed to giving gifts to females, and they think it is the common, polite thing to do. When I was visiting a tribe, I was practically showered with food and trinkets, and not because they had a crush on me, but because they thought that was how things worked. And more interesting still is the fact that male Gralatars do not expect anything in return. Yes, the gift giving is meant to woo females to select them for mates, but if they aren't picked, they don't seem to hold a grudge. They are aware there are only a few spots a year, so they don't take a loss personally. They just focus on doing better next year, and hope they win then. So when they dumped gift after gift on me, they hardly expected anything in return. Even when I tried to give something to them, they were utterly flabbergasted and confused. It was quite the conversation when I tried to explain to them why I was trying to give stuff to them!

For hunting prey, Gralatars use their webbing and numbers to bring down game. Using the sticky substance, they can create weapons and nets to tangle and kill. They also use thorns and stiff leaves with this webbing to create coverings that will protect them from attack. The "headdress" you often see them wear is meant to keep attackers from dropping on their "heads." When it is time to hunt, males will go out and travel across the thick branches and tree limbs. They will track prey and use their numbers for a coordinated attack. The goal is to tangle the prey and get them webbed up in a cocoon. Once bundled up, it is hauled back to the nest to be injected with digestive fluids and melted down into tasty mush. In some situations, Gralatars can feed directly on blood and fluids from downed prey. This is usually done with small game that is caught mid hunt, as the males drink them up for an extra boost against larger, hardier prey. Though they are brilliant strategists and hunters, they do need to be wary. Gralatars are still vulnerable to predation themselves! The main threats are Eyahs, Cordyceps Dryads and Sarcorasil. A single Eyah is not a huge threat, and Gralatars may be able to take it down with clever tactics. In their family groups, though, Eyahs are devastating forces that should be avoided at any cost. When a hunting party comes across these groups, they will high tail it back to their nest, where they can use their traps and defenses to drive the hungry primates away. The Cordyceps Dryads are highly feared due to their parasitic nature, and the Gralatars will use every weapon they can to keep these cruel creatures away from their nests and homes. The Sarcorasil are less severe, but are still not to be trifled with. Since these insects hunt in the higher levels of the jungle, Gralatars must be careful with the amount of time they spend up above. If they are up in the tree tops, the Gralatars will travel in a tight group with their weapons constantly pointed in all directions. It can help in warding off an attack, but the slightest slip up could give these speedy insects an opening to zip in and claim their prize.

Not only are Sarcorasil seen as deadly predators, but the Gralatars believe them to be the watchers of the jungle itself. In fact, their equivalent to "angels" and "demons" are the Sarcorasil and the Eyahs. Eyahs are feared and despised due to their unnatural creation and their extreme bloodlust, which is seen as wasteful and destructive to the jungle itself. As for religion, the Gralatars worship the whole jungle, seeing it as a living, breathing thing. One must respect and care for the forest, lest it grow sick and weak. The parts of prey they cannot use are "given" to certain sacrificial trees, which is meant to nourish and return. If one has ever seen a tree that has its roots stuffed with skulls and body parts, it is not meant as a warning or threat. They are just trying to give back to the jungle. In a certain region, I have heard that the Gralatars go to a special site where they can meet a god of the jungle in the flesh! I have no clue how true this claim is, as I am an outsider that is not allowed on such holy grounds. Apparently there is some animal or thing that they give sacrifices to, and that keeps the jungle healthy and happy. Though this does make them sound barbaric, Gralatars are actually quite nice and friendly! You just need to identify yourself before entering their village and bring tribute to the females. Keep your weapons put away and be polite. The key is to not act like food, and they will be a fine folk. Once you are identified and accepted, they are quite good chums! They will be happy to have you around and will be eager to study you. It was quite something to have my subjects of research study me at the same time!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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Sweet goodness I absolutely love these guys' design. I came up with the idea loooooong ago, but finally got it all together in a nice colored piece! Spider tribes!