Some Dridder species ideas

Well, I have noticed the lack of dridder sub-species. We really only have two dridder sub-species native to Felarya...the Trapdoor, and Bolas Dridders. While I really like these two, I still think that the sheer variety to be found in spiders could be used to make other interesting sub-species ^^ I had a few ideas, so I figured I'd write them down. Let me know what you think.

....and if I get any "Ewwwwwww, spiders are gross!" comments...I'll...do something. I have LOTS of big friends >.>

lol, anyway...onto the meat of this topic....

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Theras Dridders: Theras Dridders are among the largest, and most physically powerful of the known species of Dridder. Their large, imposing spider halves are built to be extremely powerful and durable. Their thick legs are extremely effective weapons, and a kick from a Theras Dridder has been known to even send Alpha Kensha Beasts tumbling from the impact.

Theras Dridders are very active hunters, and subdue their prey through sheer power. They do have the ability to create silk, like all Dridders, but the silk is rarely ever employed for hunting. They mainly use it to construct their dens.

Because of their size and power, Theras Dridders tend to hunt larger game most of the time, using their venom to liquify the internal organs of its prey. Then the Dridder will suck them out...like someone drinking some tasty soup. This typically consists of larger Felaryan wildlife, but they do occaisonally go after other giant hybrids. Humans, and smaller prey are really only singled out when there is nothing else to eat, or the Dridder just feels like a snack.

Personality wise, Theras Dridders are actually fairly mellow and calm when they aren't hunting and tend to be a pretty reasonable group of people.

((I felt that this race is a nice change from the Bolas and Trapdoor Dridders. These are very powerful, brute-force creatures, while the other two species tend to be very much finesse races. They use tricks and don't tend to engage their prey directly. The name comes from the Theraphosidae, the family to which nearly all Tarantulas belong))

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Argyron Dridders: Argyron Dridders are a somewhat lesser known sub-species of Dridder. They are unique among Dridders in that they spend nearly their entire lives underwater. Argyron Dridders construct large underwater dens from their webbing, like a huge, web bubble or dome that they anchor to rocks or underwater vegetation. Argyron Dridders have to periodically come to the surface to trap air in web bubbles to bring back to their den to keep it full, since they still require oxygen to live.

Argyron Dridders live in their dens, but the often dart out to grab prey that passes by, or to go to the surface to get more air. When they need to go outside of their den, they attatch air bubbles to their abdomens, which they are able to breathe through. Needless to say, Argyron Dridders posses a very speciallized and extremely efficient circulatory system. They are able to maximize their oxygen usage, to make their limited amount of air last for often surprising amounts of time.

They typically prey on fish, various underwater animals, the occaisonal Mermaid and very rarely, humans if they happen to come across them during a rare visit to the surface.

Argyron Dridders are a fairly reclusive race, not very well-known outside of other Argyron Dridders and Mermaids. Some will lead very solitary lives, and others will group their dens together in small groups, to help keep eachother company. Some Mermaids have actually managed to befriend this usually reclusive race, herding fish into their underwater webs, and getting a share of the catch.

((Argryon Dridders are based on Diving Bell Spiders. Google it, these things actually exist. lol. Argyron comes from the genus, Argyroneta, the genus to which Diving Bell Spiders belong to. I just think Diving Bell Spiders are really unique and interesting, and I think they make a cool basis for a Dridder sub-species))

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Anyway, these are just a couple ideas. There are plenty of other spider species that have the potential to make some cool races. These are just two I've been thinking about for a while, and decided to post ^^

let me know what you think.

I think those two are really interesting and well thought off ideas !
I especially liked the Argyron one ^_^

I really like both of these ideas. More dridder sub species DOES sound like a good idea. An underwater dridder species.....I like^-^ Great ideas!

I like these two. I think someone made a go at the tarantula dridder basis before, and it is a cool idea. The Theres are nicely described. I think something like that could serve as the dridders' answer for a hydranaga, or some of the more powerful subspecies of naga.

I like how you fleshed out the diving bell spider- based Argryons. They make for a refreshing water-based predator.

I really like both of these subspecies! The Argyon ones are very creative and I remember seeing that picture before of the diving bell spider before, it would be great to have a subspecies like that. I particularly favor the Theras ones though- as simple as it is there hasn't been any 'powerful' dridder type as mentioned yet... I think these guys would fit in great with the mentioned dridder's warrior culture particularly!

Hm, do Theras Dridders hunt in groups so that they have more reasonable chances of success? Seems like it'd be the wise thing to do, as without groups or setting traps it doesn't seem likely they'd be able to catch similarly-sized beings well.

Ooh, wait a tic: Will they eat other Dridders?

Malahite wrote:

Hm, do Theras Dridders hunt in groups so that they have more reasonable chances of success? Seems like it'd be the wise thing to do, as without groups or setting traps it doesn't seem likely they'd be able to catch similarly-sized beings well.

Ooh, wait a tic: Will they eat other Dridders?

I imagine Theras Dridders are fairly solitary, well...moreso than other Dridder species. They'd be able to catch things rather well. Spiders are unbelivably quiet in motion, so they would just need stealth and quick reflexes. Tarantulas hunt the same way in real life. They do quite well. Its all about being quiet and then striking when you get close.

As for eating other Dridders, I don't know. I don't imagine they're too picky, but cannibalism is a touchy subject, so I'll keep away from it ^_^;

(( And thanks for the positive response folks ^^ Keep the feedback coming))

rcs619 wrote:

I imagine Theras Dridders are fairly solitary, well...moreso than other Dridder species. They'd be able to catch things rather well. Spiders are unbelivably quiet in motion, so they would just need stealth and quick reflexes. Tarantulas hunt the same way in real life. They do quite well. Its all about being quiet and then striking when you get close.

Perhaps, but then your OP didn't give much of an image of a stealthy Dridder. Guess if they can still sneak as good as all the others then they're fine - they most certainly have the bulk to keep a Predator pinned if they can jump on it.

To be honest they are good bases but I have the feeling they are incomplete or they can be a bit more developed, as I see them they are "ordinary" spiders which have been turn into tauric creatures. I have the feeling something is missing, they are well-developed in a biological sense but I think they can have a mythical, or mystical or symbolic side too. In many cultures or beliefs spiders play an important role in good or bad, humans are always been fascinated by the spiders add them this fascination can be interested

Malahite wrote:

rcs619 wrote:

I imagine Theras Dridders are fairly solitary, well...moreso than other Dridder species. They'd be able to catch things rather well. Spiders are unbelivably quiet in motion, so they would just need stealth and quick reflexes. Tarantulas hunt the same way in real life. They do quite well. Its all about being quiet and then striking when you get close.

Perhaps, but then your OP didn't give much of an image of a stealthy Dridder. Guess if they can still sneak as good as all the others then they're fine - they most certainly have the bulk to keep a Predator pinned if they can jump on it.

....they're half spider. Stealth is a given. Spiders are ambush predators, much like snakes. Large Spiders, like Tarantulas, sneak up on their prey...pounce and strike.

Yeah. We do need to flesh out the dridders a bit. Nicely said, Cliff.

I kinda agree with Gwadahunter here, those two are clearly great ideas, but I feel there is maybe a little something missing to them (ability, special trait ? ), that make them stand more out on a non-biological point of view ^^
Though looking at it, I agree that some the sub-species that exist could use more work as well in general >>

I'll see what I can do about fleshing out these ideas a bit more to help out RCS, I actually really like these ideas a lot.

I haven't thought about this in any detail, and I apologise if it's been discussed before elsewhere, but I've come across the fact that certain spiders actually hold their net between their arms (instead of hanging it up somewhere), and then cast it at passing prey, or lunge at their prey and cover them with the net. It struck me that it could be an interesting habit for certain dridders.

French snack wrote:

I haven't thought about this in any detail, and I apologise if it's been discussed before elsewhere, but I've come across the fact that certain spiders actually hold their net between their arms (instead of hanging it up somewhere), and then cast it at passing prey, or lunge at their prey and cover them with the net. It struck me that it could be an interesting habit for certain dridders.

It's a good idea it add some variety in the modus operandi to some dridders characters

wow I really didn't know this kind of spiders. Nature is amazing ^_^

okay, am i the only that thinks there needs to be a Grand-daddy-long legs? like an perverted old man spider, that shares his wisdom among everyone, but when the time calls for it, can be a great fighter, etc. just look at all the anime ever watched. when has the old man ever not been a badass?

Example:
Master Roshi: DBZ
Old Man Yamamoto: Bleach
Master Wong: Anyone guy wit that name is always badass
Walter: Hellsing (though not a perv)
Any of the old Jedi Masters from Star Wars

The list can go on...

Well, the harvestmen are definitely an old 'spider' (cough cough). And one of the few I can tolerate personally. They've found fossilized versions that actually belong to species still alive today.


However, you start getting into interesting territory with them where Felarya is concerned for a few reasons and the 'established' view of dridders. First because they have no silk or venom glands. They're also one of the few spiders that do not share the predator mindset of spiders; a large number of their species are omnivorous, and unlike other spiders they can ingest either liquids or chunks of food, with a preference for the latter. Their 'fangs' aren't really fangs at all, more like small arms/grasping claws to aide in food intake. They do ambush their prey if they hunt, but they don't have webs or venom to aide them. Additionally, they're quite social, where most species will openly tolerate other members. They're also one of those whatever-you-cal- its species, where the male takes care of the young. The more advanced species are good at fighting, have more developed breathing structures, with their carapaces adapted to have junctured segments that form plates that resemble armor (you've probably noticed them as they're silver and blackish in colour, compared to the normal brown ones you see everywhere - speaking from an American standpoint ofc, don't know what you Europeans get).


I remember doing research projects on them as a kid, since they continue to remain a point of contention in the old myths area, though there is plenty of evidence to debunk it.

this is the spider i was making reference too to be considered the Old Man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae

i was lookin more along the lines of a single character instead of an entire race.

was this the spider you made reference too aethernavale? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones

Not a spider, hence the quotations. But yes, when someone says 'daddy long legs' I'm thinking of these guys: link. Brown ones are the most common type I remember but you do see the silver/black 'armoured' ones occasionally. When you referenced an age crossreference I assumed you meant the harvestman since they've been around for a while, even if they don't live long lives.

Don't know if this has been done... but just got a sudden idea from it

Gem dridders

Appearance: Unlike a normal dridder, the skin on their spider half is MUCH thicker and has a slight shine to it. Pupils are normally small due to their behaviors, (below), but regardless they can see perfectly in the dark.

Feeding: They do eat humans and other creatures smaller then them like a normal dridder would, but they also eat any kind of raw gems or metal resources, which gives them their shine and other talents

Special:
-Adapted to eating gems and metals, their teeth are one of the hardest substances in felarya, but they are also just as hard to obtain.
-The gems and metals ingested makes the skin on their spider bodies almost as hard as their teeth
-They do have an incredible obsession with gems, tending to distroy entire mining sites or mountain sides in order to get to them

Web: The web created by a gem dridder can harden very quickly. If placed right, it can look just like a rock pillar in a cave, only with fragments of gems stuck in them. Several explorers have discovered these 'rock pillars' only to become stuck to them when they try to retrieve the gems

How to escape: If you should find yourself in a dridder's line of sight, the best way to run would be to pull out a gem, or a large piece of metal ore and throw it past her, they care more for those then a small meat snack



If it's been done before, dont hate, just say so and be on your way

Cleared for revision.

aethernavale wrote:

However, once you get past their exoskeleton appearance, they don't share much in common with their dridder cousins. At adult stage, it is not uncommon for them to reach heights of 80 to 100 feet from head to ground, and on the rare occasion even larger, though the largest known example reached 160 feet. While this height is hardly impressive for the creatures of Felarya,

Actually I'm pretty sure that's impressive. It's over twice crisis' height. Might want to make them a bit smaller, maybe 60 - 90, with the larger ones being around 110 - 130.

aethernavale wrote:

Typically personified as patient, motionless hunters they build large and intricate webs that might cover a large area, preferring to use tactics and subtle deceptions to trick prey into falling into/onto their webs. Due to the size of these webs they often have to be rebuilt daily, with the webbing being recycled via ingestion/consumption. They have developed a reputation as being lethargic and slow, however this is merely their preference, not their limitation.

Actually, I think it should be more of a limitation,as they are large, armoured and have to produce a lot of web, they wouldn't have much energy for moving fast even if they wanted to. I'm not saying that they should move at snail's pace, but a bit slower than a dridder of similar height. (Not size, height).

aethernavale wrote:

Additionally, with the exception of the 'predator sense', they have absolutely no magical inclination.

Only nagas, fairies and deerataurs have the predator sense.

aethernavale wrote:

Despite their seemingly patient and lethargic natures, the orb weavers tend to have fast metabolisms. Human prey is digested within 2 to 4 hours, and their webbing is broken down even faster, within the hour.

Their large size and heavy body coupled with a fast metabolism means they would need to eat a LOT. That means that they would have to cover a huge area to avoid depleting the prey population in the area. I think that the area would be unviable considering their size and lethargic tendencies.

aethernavale wrote:

Their large size however makes it difficult for them to maneuver in most environments, and their gait does often result in them being referred to as 'predator tanks'.

INB4 PREDATOR TANKS

Anime-Junkie wrote:

aethernavale wrote:

Their large size however makes it difficult for them to maneuver in most environments, and their gait does often result in them being referred to as 'predator tanks'.

INB4 PREDATOR TANKS

TOO LATE.



Edit: What do you guys think, should I keep this in this thread or move it to its own separate thread? I don't want to be spammy and I originally posted it here, but it seems from looking at the other threads that generally new ideas are posted in new threads instead of tacked onto old ones. I think the set of ideas I had has come together for the most part, but I still consider this a draft. Anyone else want to offer some suggestions/refinements to polish it up?

Edit2+: Submitted to DA, can be found here. More changes and alterations made, mostly minor ones and grammar fixes. Added details as they grow up regarding hair color, an idea suggested by Autumnology whilst working on my character.

Edit3: Reya, my character and personified concept of a Jewel Dridder, has her preliminary bio here. It also discusses some more features of Jewel Dridders in her notable abilities section - and how Reya has adapted them. I will add it to DA once it is more finalized. Might add more abilities or clarification as well, in regards to how Reya senses prey. Still trying to visualize that portion.


For those who have not yet seen it, Reya has been drawn by the talented Autu:



Clicking on the picture will take you to Autu's DA submission page of Reya. Reya is a typified example of a Jewel Dridder - the differences between her and others of her race would be limited to size, color patterns, number and size of spikes, configuration of chitin armor on her arms, eye/hair color, skin tone/body color, etc. The basic overall shape and configuration however would remain the same.


If you see any issues or have suggestions, please let me know.

Edited my above post to include the more refined version of how things with the idea have progressed and developed. Removed old description that was a work in progress. Idea is fairly fleshed out and finalized at this point, just working on Reya's specific bio and abilities now.

Bumped due to the extent of changes and the new details/information available.