Mygalla
by WingofCootPopulation: 120,000: 8% (~10,000) Shapewalker aranea, 92% (~110,000) Webwalker aranea)
Introduction
Mygalla is a realm of vast deserts lying just south of the equator of Vaniae. Its northern border is marked by the cliffs of Noctaurus and the Valles Marineris, while the rest of its border largely corresponds with a horseshoe-shaped range of hills and low mountains bordering the sand basin of Solis Planum.
On the south, the border is poorly defined, as the area immediately south of Mygalla has no large societies – the primary intelligent inhabitants are small Geonid theocracies and scattered bands of Rock Men, neither of which have formal borders with the Mygallan aranea, though trade does occur. The borders in the north and east have been formally defined in a series of treaties.
History
The deep history of Mygalla is controversial. The Mygallans themselves claim an incredibly long history, predating the arrival of the Gren on Vaniae. The Chak claim that the arachnid inhabitants of the Mygallan desert during this era were Chak planar spiders, not aranea, and that true aranea did not appear in the area until the second era of canal building, perhaps 1300-1400 local years ago, as descendants of Chak dissidents.
Regardless of the truth about this, Mygalla in its modern sense was defined in the era from 1100 to 1000 local years ago, with the appearance of the Shapewalker aranea and their establishment of trade agreements with the gren and giff. Shortly after that, during the era of Noctaurus’s centralization and expansion, they established a border and a treaty of non-interference and non-aggression with the Noctaurans about 1000 local years ago (BC 900 in Mystaran terms). Even at that early point in their history, the Mygallan aranea’s magical potential was intimidating.
Mygalla existed in a state of peace for about five local centuries. About 500 local years ago (shortly after AC 1 in Mystaran terms), a massive Imperial expansion reached the equator and attempted to push southwards. Noctaurus had suffered a major defeat - with the loss of a number of House Caelus nobles, who faced the brunt of the conflict at the (then Deimos) Emperor’s command – but were not yet subjugated. The Shapewalkers sent a mission to treat with the Imperial leaders, who rejected their efforts to define borders and establish treaties and trade. Indeed, they sent a punitive expedition into Mygalla to respond to what they considered the Mygallans’ “insolence”. The overconfident Imperial commander of the Noctaurus effort failed to take the Mygallans seriously, and arrived with what they considered to be overwhelming magical force. In fact, it was sadly inferior to the Mygallans’ unexpected power. A stunning magical conflict erupted, and at its end, the Imperials were almost utterly destroyed – only two mages managing to escape by Teleport. The enraged general ordered in more troops, but this diversion of forces gave the Noctaurans an opportunity. The tide turned, and the entire conquest effort failed. The general was recalled home in disgrace and ultimately executed -- less for his failure than because he had not consulted the capital before launching a new battle front with the arachnids; if the Emperor had been aware of his plans, he would have forbidden the attempt. The Empire has never again attempted to take this region (largely because the Emperor is extremely wary of antagonizing the Chak).
Geography
Mygalla is essentially bordered by the coast to the north and by an arc of hills and mountains to west, south, and east. On the northwest, these hills quickly become the heights of the southernmost part of Tharsis Plateau, southeast of Noctaurus. This area is completely uninhabited and unclaimed even by sandfolk - the Ascraeus super-eruption completely destroyed the former sandfolk clans/tribe that inhabited this area (as well as the mek ruin that they guarded against), and this area has never been resettled. The only intelligent beings here are undead created in the eruption itself and bound to this region of ruin and desolation.
Mygalla is divided into five major regions or terrain types - the coast, the Great Stone Plain, the Middle Sands, the Dune Basin, and the Greenrise.
Coast
Population: 32,000 (25% Shapewalker aranea, 75% Webwalker aranea)
The coast region is the original home of the first Mygallan aranea. It has about 80% of the total Shapewalker population of Mygalla, as it is the primary area of interaction with the outside world - Noctauran minotaurs, grens, giffs, and others from even farther away (such as occasional Chak emissaries). The waters of Valles Marineris, as well as Crater Lake near the Noctauran border, also support several dozen small fishing communities mostly populated by Webwalkers. These tiny villages (usually about 100-200 inhabitants each) are nonetheless the largest communities of Webwalkers.
The coast on Valles Marineris is a landscape of colossal cliffs - the aranea move up and down them easily, but they are enormous barriers for any humanoid-type beings who can't levitate or fly. Only a few passable paths exist, and each is the site of a major Shapewalker settlement (combining trading post and defensive stronghold). These four major settlements are the only places in Mygalla that could really be called towns, with a population of about 1000-1500 each.
Great Stone Plain
Population: 40,000 (99% Webwalker aranea, 1% Shapewalker aranea)
This is the largest region of Mygalla, surrounding the sand desert and within the borders formed by the coast and hills/mountains. This area supports the largest Webwalker population, though the density is very low - the expanse of the Great Stone Plain is truly vast. This is a desert by Earth or Mystaran standards, but not a barren one - while the terrain is extremely rocky, a wide variety of desert-adapted flora do quite well here. These plants support a number of giant insect species which thrive in this area, including the great beetles domesticated by the Mygallans. The land is not rich enough to support permanent "grazing", so the Webwalkers drive their herds nomadically across the vast expanses of the Plain.
No Shapewalkers inhabit the main area of the Great Stone Plain, but in the bordering hills, two small Shapewalker outposts watch passes that lead to Geonid lands, and manage some small-scale trade with them.
Middle Sands
Population: 26,000 (100% Webwalker aranea)
This area reflects one of the great triumphs of the ancient terraformers of Vaniae, the thousandroot plant. This unique shrub sends down a massive network of branching roots to reach water far beneath the sands, and in the process stabilizes the sand. Other, smaller plants can grow upon the thousandroot plants' root systems.
The thousandroot groves support more giant-insect herds which are also tended by nomadic Webwalker bands.
Dune Basin
Population: none permanent
The Dune Basin's sands are too deep for even the terraformers' thousandroot plants to grow, so they are essentially barren of plant life. Therefore, the Mygallans and their herds do not live here. Certain mineral/earth elemental creatures may be found here, however.
Greenrise
Population: 22,000 (99% Webwalker aranea, 1% Shapewalker aranea)
In this area, the inner (north) face of the hills/low mountains that form Mygalla's southern border capture what little moisture escapes from the Valles Marineris. Orographic lift brings clouds, morning mist, and even occasional rain. These water shrubs which are grazed by livestock herds. Unlike elsewhere in Mygalla, some of this area is green enough to allow for semi-permanent livestock pasturage.
One Shapewalker outpost exists here, watching the southern border and trading with a few small communities of Rock Men that live in the southern mountain range.
Climate
Mygalla is desert outside the immediate vicinity of the water (Valles Marineris and the Crater Lake). Its position very near the equator makes it one of the very few regions of the planet that an inhabitant of Earth or Mystara could call "warm" - this is one of the very few areas of the planet where frosts are rare to unknown.
Mygalla is so close to the equator that there is no meaningful seasonal variation in temperature.
Over most of the region, the prevailing wind is from the southeast (a trade wind pattern). The northernmost part of Mygalla, just beneath the equator, falls within the equatorial doldrums and so has extremely calm winds. These wind patterns, along with the very high cliff walls of Valles Marineris, trap water within the Valles Marineris and leave Mygalla a desert (any clouds which do manage to rise high enough to escape the clif walls tend to be blown back over the Valles by the trade winds or trapped in the doldrums).
The base of the coastal cliffs, on or just above the waters of Valles Marineris, are among the warmest areas on Vaniae - daytime temperatures are kept moderated (high 80s or low 90s) by the water, but nighttime lows tend to hover around 70, which is unique on the planet. With its equatorial location, low elevation, heat-trapping walls, and frequent clouds, the Valles Marineris system has the warmest nights on Vaniae.
Rain is more frequent here than anywhere else on the planet (though the Isidis coast of Syrtis Major receives a larger quantity of rain overall -- rain on the Valles is usually very light nighttime showers). This rain occurs when moisture is trapped by the vast canyon walls of the Valles and condenses into clouds during overnight cooling.
The top of the cliffs and the majority of the flat barrens of the Great Stone Plain lie about a mile and a half above the 'sea level' of Valles Marineris. The average temperature is much lower here, but the thinner, drier air means much more dramatic temperature swings - so the usual daily high temperature is only slightly lower, averaging in the 80s, but the nighttime temperatures drop usually to the low 40s. - the higher terrain can drop to freezing a few days per year.
The lowlands of the Dune Basin, lying over 4000 feet below the Great Stone Plain (though still far above the level of the Valles Marineris waters), are a rare, true hot desert on Vaniae where daytime highs usually exceed 100. Nighttime temperatures are usually in the 60s.
The Middle Sands are intermediate in elevation and temperature between the Great Stone Plain and the Dune Basin, with daytime temperatures usually in the low 90s and nighttime temperatures usually in the 50s.
Mygallans
Metabolism and Feeding
Mygallan aranea are desert-adapted, and more or less "cold-blooded" - their metabolisms are much lower than those of humans, demi-humans, Grens/Pyrithians, etc. This means they need far less food or water - an aranea needs about one-quarter the calories of a human of the same body mass, and even less water (aranea usually get their entire water requirement from their food), and can consume up to a week's needs at one meal. Thus, they are superbly adapted to not only survive, but thrive, in the deserts of Mygalla.
They pay a severe cost for this, however. Their low metabolism impairs their ability to function in the cold. This is not a problem on the coasts of Valles Marineris (where the Mygallan aranea originated/became distinct from the Chak), or in the Middle Sands, where temperatures do not become low enough to trouble them. However, on the Great Stone Plain and the Greenrise, nighttime temperatures do regularly fall below 45-50 degrees, and so Webwalkers here become deeply dormant at night and are difficult to awaken (unless they enter a burrow, which does not cool so far at night, as most do in the Greenrise; or use magic to prevent this, as most do on the Great Stone Plain). In most of Vaniae outside Mygalla, nighttime temperatures well below freezing would be deadly to Webwalkers who do not use magical means to protect themselves. Even warm clothing would be far less useful than it is for humans, since there is much less body heat to keep in.
The other primary biological limitation they face is their method of eating. With spider mouthparts, they must eat fresh prey - injecting a dissolving venom, and consuming the resulting fluid. Thus, without magic (or technology not available to them), Mygallans cannot preserve food (dried or salted meat would be inedible to them); they also cannot eat any form of plant matter. This is why most Webwalkers live a pastoralist lifestyle, relying on tending herds of livestock. Mygallan structures are designed very differently from human ones. Food storage limitations mean that Mygallans can't endure sieges without significant magic use. So they don't build castles or walled cities.
In addition, Mygallans (especially Webwalkers) are natural climbers and web-users; they move in three dimensions much more than humans do, and the structures they build reflect this. In Greenrise and the coastal areas, where Webwalkers live in settled environments, walls and floors are often almost interchangeable. Doors may be far off the ground, making buildings very difficult for humans/demihumans to traverse.
These factors apply to Shapewalkers only when in arachnid form; outside Mygalla, or in the colder parts of the bordering hills/mountains, Shapewalkers spend most of their time in humanoid form for these reasons (even when not using it for disguise). On the other hand, within Mygalla, they prefer the arachnid form with its lesser food and water requirements.
Life Cycle
Aranea live much longer than humans, but mature at around the same rate or a few years slower: they become adults at about 20-25 years of age, but live 200-400 years*.
However, aranea do not mature in the same way as humans, Grens, etc. Young aranea grow quickly, undergoing repeated molting of their exoskeletons as they grow - these exoskeletons slowly change from an orange hue through yellow to green with each successive molt. An aranea reaches maximum size (and physical capabilities, such as mobility, venom, etc.) in only 4-5 years, and is at this point independent of parental care for its survival. While its mind is not yet fully developed, it possesses the full hunting instincts of its species, as well as the lessons in hunting taught by its parents.
Slow development continues over the next 15-20 years, during which the aranea gains its mental and magical capabilities. At the end of this time, it will undergo its final molt and enter reproductive maturity; at this point it will be recognized by other aranea as a full adult.
This lifespan means that a smaller proportion of Mygalla's population is adults than would be expected in a human population - only about 1/8 of the population (or 15,000 aranea) are immature at any given time, and of those, only 1/3 (or 5,000 individuals) are below maximum size/physical ability. Once an aranea has reached this size, mortality becomes very low; about 30-40% of newly-hatched aranea die before reaching maximum size.
Aranea are egg-layers; a mother aranea produces an egg sac with (usually) 2 eggs wrapped in webbing. (Occasionally, an egg sac will have three eggs or only a single one - this is about as rare as twins among humans.)
(*The Savage Coast set has starting age 15+4d4 [19-31] for aranea PCs, and maximum age 200+2d100 [202-400].)
Webwalkers
Webwalker aranea come in two different physical types. These are not genetic/hereditary, but determined by the temperatures the aranea is exposed to during its first year of life. Those which do not experience nighttime temperatures under 60 degrees (on the Valles Marineris coast) develop into the "coastal" type, while those exposed to colder temperatures (elsewhere) develop into the "desert" type. Coastal-form Webwalkers have more elongated abdomens and have hairless, pale green exoskeletons, while desert-form Webwalkers have rounder abdomens and densely hairy exoskeletons, appearing blue-green (the exoskeleton beneath the hair is still pale green, however).
Webwalkers are very large arachnids. The average individual is about 320 pounds, with a body (cephalothorax+abdomen) length of about 5 feet.
By default, Webwalkers have 3rd-level magic-user ability as soon as they become adults with their final molt. Most remain at this level, but about 5% advance further, up to a maximum of 8th level.
[Webwalkers who do not advance in magical ability are 'standard' aranea from X1, in game-mechanics terms.]
Shapewalkers
Shapewalker aranea in arachnid form are smaller and more lightly built than Webwalker aranea. They average a bit over 4 feet long and somewhere around 150 pounds. Their abdomens are more elongated ovoids than the coastal-form Webwalker, but otherwise they resemble this form, being hairless and pale green.
Shapewalkers begin at 1st level ability, unlike their Webwalker kin, but are capable of advancing to far greater levels of power than Webwalkers.
[Shapewalkers are Herathian aranea from the Savage Coast set, in game-mechanics terms.]
Question: The Savage Coast set uses AD&D rules: in that set, aranea PCs can reach 6th level as fighters, unlimited as wizards, 9th level as clerics, 12th level as druids, or 12th level as thieves. I feel like in BECMI rules they should work differently... is there a source that has BECMI rules for aranea PCs?
Magic
Mygalla is one of the most magically powerful societies on Vaniae - arguably the most. While the Alphatians of the Empire have a greater number of very-high-level spellcasters capable of 9th level spells, they have fewer spellcasters overall (of course, the entirety of the Empire including all tributary nations has more, but it cannot really be considered a single society).
While the Empire and Chak are the primary powers on the planet (through the canal system and their own magic - traditional spellcasting in the case of the Empire, a combination of this with technomagic in the case of the Chak) Mygalla can easily maintain its independence. Mygalla doesn't need the canal system - they have enough natural water sources still, especially since their lifestyle uses much less. And their magical power is enough to give even the Empire pause, especially as the Emperor will not dare fight both Mygalla and Chak.
Furthermore, for Mygallan aranea, spellcasting is as natural as walking. Every adult Webwalker is (at least) a 3rd-level spellcaster. Magic is simply part of life to them, and they have developed unique spells to solve the unique problems posed by their arachnid nature and their environment; Mygalla uses magic as a central part of basic aspects of life such as food preparation and shelter. Several of those spells are given below. They may be learned by non-aranea magic users, but some of them will not be useful to non-arachnids.
New First Level Magic-User Spell
Preserve Food
Range: Touch
Duration: 7 days
Effect: One carcass (see below)
This spell can be cast only on the carcass of a creature less than 250 pounds which has died in the last turn (10 minutes), or is currently under the effect of a Preserve Food spell. The spell preserves the carcass as suitable for arachnid-style feeding. The spell may be cast again before the duration expires to extend its duration, but once the spell ends, the carcass is no longer suitable for further Preserve Food spells.
Example: A Mygallan giant beetle is slaughtered and immediately affected by Preserve Food. Six days later, another Preserve Food spell is cast, extending the effect for another 7 days.
New Second Level Magic-User Spells
Warmth
Range: 0
Duration : 8 hours
Effect: All creatures within 30'
This spell is vaguely similar to the clerical Resist Cold spell, but differs significantly in detail. When the ambient temperature is between 20 and 60 F, affected creatures feel as if the temperature was 60 F. Below 20 F, they feel as if the temperature is 30 F warmer than it actually is.
Warmth provides only limited benefit against magical cold, adding +1 to Saving Throws, but not otherwise affecting damage.
This spell is used by aranea on the Great Stone Plain, or any other environment where temperatures fall below 50 F.
Banner
Range: 0
Duration: 1 round
Effect: See below
This spell creates a dramatic visual and audible display indicating the caster's location.
An ear-splitting shriek sounds as a fiery meteor shoots upward from the caster and detonates into a firework-like spray of multicolored lights with a thunderous roar. This repeats twice a round for the next 5 rounds (unless dispel magic ends the spell early). The effects are harmless and produce only light and sound; while the lights look like fire, they carry no heat.
Outdoors, the sound can be heard for two miles (one mile in a 'normally' noisy environment; half a mile if the environment is so noisy that normal speech could not be heard); outdoors at night, if there are no visual obstructions (such as a forest, or cliffs surrounding a deep valley) the lights can be seen for five miles.
Webwalkers developed this spell since they are generally wandering in very small numbers while tending their herds. In a small group of herders, at least one will have the Banner spell memorized; if attacked by numerous or powerful spells, the spell will be used to alert other groups.
New Fourth Level Magic-User Spell
Traveling Ration
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 month
Effect: One carcass (see below)
This spell can be cast only on the carcass of a creature less than 100 pounds which has died in the last turn (10 minutes), or is currently under the effect of a Preserve Food spell. It transforms the carcass into a small sphere (weighing 1 pound and about 3 inches in diameter) which an aranea, Chak, or other arachnid creature can feed on as if it were the original carcass; it remains perfectly fresh for the spell's duration. Unlike Preserve Food, repeated castings cannot extend the duration further.
Existing Spells
In addition to their own unique spells, Mygallans commonly apply “standard” magic-user spells to mundane uses. Examples include using Floating Disc to carry a sick/injured aranea on Webwalkers’ nomadic wanderings; using Sleep for slaughtering livestock; using Ventriloquism as a distraction for game when hunting.
In contrast, several spells commonly used by magic-users elsewhere are not generally used within Mygalla, though Shapewalkers who travel outside or trade with outsiders regularly may use them. Examples include Charm Person (there are no suitable creatures within Mygalla); Hold Portal, Knock, and Wizard Lock (the majority of Mygallans are nomadic, and even most Mygallan structures do not have traditional doors); Read Languages (all Mygallans speak the same language, and rarely write for non-magical purposes).
The “standard” spells most commonly used by Webwalker aranea are (First Level) Floating Disc, Magic Missile, Read Magic, Shield, Sleep, Ventriloquism; (Second Level) Detect Invisible, ESP, Invisibility, Locate Object, Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force, Web.
Spell Books
Mygallan spell books are very different from those used by other magic-users. They are scroll-like rolled sheets made of webbing, with the arcane runes formed by webbing of a different color. Unlike normal spell books, multiple aranea can memorize spells from a spell book of this style - a Webwalker band usually has a few spell books shared by all the members of the band.
Chak magic-users (who share a history of magical traditions) can easily interpret and copy spells from an aranea spell book, needing no more than an ordinary Read Magic spell, but non-arachnids cannot. A non-arachnid mage who wishes to copy spells from an aranea spell book to a traditional spell book must translate the spells into the normal spell book format, which is time-consuming and requires research (and cost). Translating a spell this way takes three days per spell level and costs 100 gp per spell level.
Monsters
Mygalla is basically an invertebrate - especially arthropod - ecosystem, though creatures from the mineral ecosystem farther south are often found in southern Mygalla, especially near the bordering hills. Those linked to the Plane of Earth are found both in that area and deep in the Dune Basin, where gates to the Plane of Earth may open. Cave systems host other monstrosities.
Really dangerous creatures will not generally be found in the vicinity of aranea settlements such as Shapewalker border outposts/towers, coastal towns and villages, or Greenrise villages. However, some creatures such as giant ants, giant locusts, and giant oil beetles are hunted by the aranea and their populations are managed as game - they can thus be encountered even in such 'defended' areas.
Excluding the aranea themselves, monsters encountered here might include:
Common
Ant, Giant - often hunted by aranea; this is a coordinated group effort with heavy use of magic
Beetle, Giant (all types) - giant oil beetles are hunted for their oil, which is used in magical scrolls made by aranea; the Mygallan giant beetle is a special domestic variety, see below
Centipede, Giant
Insect Swarm
Locust, Giant - the normal type is common; in the Greenrise, a domestic variety without the spit ability is ranched
Rhagodessa
Robber Fly
Spider, Giant (Crab or Black Widow)
Rare
Basilisk - southern / Dune Basin
Cockatrice - southern / Dune Basin
Desert Ghost - Dune Basin
Dragon (Blue, Gold, or Amber)
Drake (Elemental, Earth) - southern / Dune Basin
Geonid - only in or near the southern hills
Gorgon - southern / Dune Basin
Kryst - southern/Dune Basin
Melter - see below
Medusa - southern/Dune Basin
Purple Worm
Pyramid Crab - southern
Rock Men - only in or near the southern hills
Stonebreaker - southern
Spider, Giant (Tarantella)
Walking Stone - southern
Underground Only - These creatures may be found in various cave systems, either in the great coastal cliffs or the hills around the Greenrise.
Black Pudding
Caecilia
Giant Slug
Gray Ooze
Green Slime
Ochre Jelly
Rust Monster
Shrieker
Yellow Mold
New Monsters
Giant Beetle - Mygallan
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d6
No. Appearing: 0 (4d6)
Save As: F1
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 10
The Mygallan giant beetle is quite similar to the giant fire beetle known on Mystara, but it has diverged due to more than a thousand local years of aranea-driven artificial selection. It is adapted to desert conditions, and its shell is weaker, more easily pierced by the aranea's fangs. Furthermore, this beetle's light will continue to glow for 1d6+6 days after removal; if removed from a living beetle, new lights will grow in one month.
While herded by aranea, Mygallan beetles are not intelligent enough to be 'tame'. They will not try to eat aranea, but that is about the limit of it. (Humans, demihumans, grens, Pyrithians etc. have no such protection.)
Mygallan giant beetles are 2 ½’ to 3’ long and weigh 30 to 50 pounds.
This is the most common form of livestock in Mygalla, the mainstay of the Webwalkers' pastoral economy.
Melter
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 6
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 2 claws (or special)
Damage: 1d10/1d10
No. Appearing: 1d2 (1)
Save As: F1
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 600
The "melter" is a horrible monster native to Mygalla, Daedalia Planum, and the surrounding lands.
While not a true spider, it is an arachnid creature with eight legs - the forward pair armed with powerful pincers. These weapons can cleave through armor as well as any battle-axe, but they are the lesser threat. The melter can loose a spray of acid as a breath weapon (a cone 30' long and 20' wide at the end, inflicting 4d6 damage, save vs. Breath Weapon for half) three times per day.
The melter is an apex carnivore within Mygalla, and aranea both hate and fear them, organizing hunting parties whenever one is sighted. In Daedalia Planum, they are often prey for the far larger desert leviathans, which are large enough to ignore the burns from their acid.
Thankfully, melters are usually encountered alone. If a pair is met, it will always be a mated pair defending the cave where their eggs are waiting to hatch (the egg sac is a large green cone covered in a slimy membrane). This is a very dangerous situation!
A melter is about the size of a grizzly bear - perhaps 400 to 750 pounds.
Society and Culture
Religion
Mygallans, especially Webwalkers, are generally not particularly reverent – perhaps as part of aranea self-reliance. In general, they have only a philosophical respect for the elemental powers – Water as the source of life, Fire as the warmth needed for life and the Energy that powers magic, Air as breath and motion and the Thought that shapes magic, Earth as the substance of the lands.
Those few (usually Shapewalkers) who actually follow individual Immortals generally choose one with strong elemental associations, such as Ixion, Protius, or Terra. A small group of Shapewalkers on Mygalla’s border revere Korotiku as “The Spider of the Winds”, and a small cult of Arachne Prime also exists.
Communities
Nomadic bands: The herding bands of nomadic Webwalkers that occupy the Great Stone Plain, the Middle Sands, and some parts of the Greenrise are generally composed of 20-30 adults and a few young. Some are larger, but such bands usually split in two eventually, as their herds become too large to support in a small area. As aranea must kill their livestock to feed (they cannot benefit from milk products as human pastoralists often do), even a small aranea community requires a large herd - usually about 20-30 beetles per aranea, or around 400-900 for an entire band.
The size of the herd also fluctuates seasonally - Mygallan giant beetles lay eggs twice per (local) year, around the time of the equinoxes. The eggs hatch about 40 days later. The herd is largest just after a hatching and smallest just before.
The leader of a band is usually an individual of above-average (greater than 3rd level) spellcasting ability.
Villages:
The settled communities of Webwalkers are generally built around a cave or caves, often artificially enlarged, and with structures made of many layers of webbing outside the entrance. In the Greenrise, the cave is a key part of the village; on the coast, it may be a mere hollow at the base of the coastal cliff, with the village primarily constructed of webbing. (Little shelter is needed in the climate of the lower Valles, anyway.) In the Greenrise, the population is perhaps 40-80, while given the rich food supply provided by fish in the Valles Marineris waters, coastal villages' populations are usually about 100-200. These very small villages are not mapped on the 24 miles per hex maps of Mygalla.
Greenrise villages usually raise a mix of giant beetles and giant locusts. While these communities are only found in the more verdant parts of the Greenrise, even so, not all the village's herd will be immediately present in the vicinity: these villages send out groups of herders on long grazing trips with portions of the herd to prevent over-grazing of the area. Hunting parties also go out to add to the village's food supply.
Coastal villages rely primarily on fishing. These villages still have some livestock, but they are not the primary food source - some of these raise "specialty" livestock such as giant oil beetles (for the use of the oil in magic potions and an ingredient in magic scroll ink, not for food).
Like nomadic bands, the most powerful spellcaster tends to be the leader of a village.
The largest coastal villages likely have a few Shapewalkers present, in case interactions with non-aranea are necessary.
Shapewalker towns: The four towns that each guard a pass from the Valles into Mygalla's interior are built from the water level "up-canyon", with tunnels dug into the pass's walls, and both stone-built and webbing-constructed buildings - ultimately backed by a formidable guarded stone wall that blocks the approach to the interior. Fishing is still the primary food source here. However, these towns are the location of the vast majority of Mygalla's trade. The Shapewalkers trade with the minotaurs of Noctaurus, the Grens, the giff of Hippania, and the Chak.
These are by far the largest communities in Mygalla.
Each Shapewalker town is led by three officials. The 'trademaster' is responsible for all trade, and thus controls much of the everyday business of the town (as they can block other activities if they interfere with trade); the 'judge' is responsible for settling disputes and justice among the inhabitants; and the 'war leader' commands the defense if the town is attacked. The most powerful magic-user in the town (assuming they are not one of the three officials) also has a position of great respect, and is often consulted for advice, but does not actually command anyone else.
The Common names of these towns - which are the usual names in practice since they are highly trade-oriented - from west to east are:
- Canyon Gate (pop. 1200, responsible for trade with Noctaurus)
- Deep Port (pop. 1600, the largest, responsible for trade with the Grens)
- Steep Pass (pop. 950, the smallest, placed largely for defensive reasons, but also trades with some northern Chak)
- Mountain Cliff (pop. 1300, primary location of trade with Hippania and the southern Chak and their protectorates).
Government
In truth, Mygalla has no united government. However, almost no one outside Mygalla knows this (and most who do know, or suspect, are Chak - who understand the arachnid way of thinking). Using magical communications, the Shapewalkers of the four towns (and various border forts, and many Shapewalker spellcasters traveling outside Mygalla in humanoid form) coordinate extremely well. The semi-formal 'council' that coordinates Mygalla's foreign relations always includes the war leaders and trade masters of the four Shapewalker towns; it also often includes commanders of the important outposts and Mygalla's most powerful Shapewalker magic users. It does not meet in person, relying on magical communications. Decisions are generally made by consensus, with a vote only being held if consensus cannot be achieved (this is very rare).
Webwalkers are not involved in this, and do not care to be. Their trade with the outside world, if any, is entirely handled indirectly through the Shapewalker towns and outposts. The only exception would be a major invasion of Mygalla (such as the Imperial one 500 local years ago), in which case Webwalkers will fight fiercely to protect their hunting/herding grounds. However, few forces will need the Webwalkers' help; extremely high-level spellcasters among the Shapewalkers can deal with most threats.
Daily Life on the Great Stone Plain
A Webwalker band on the Great Stone Plain begins its day about an hour after sunrise, when the sun’s rays warm their bodies. At this point, the band splits into smaller herding groups to cover a larger area of grazing land. Each group consists of 3-5 aranea and will drive a section of the herd, perhaps a hundred or so giant beetles. The groups will fan out, but travel in the same general direction.
A few scouts and hunters (not driving beetles) will go ahead of the herding groups, seeking game, and also looking for a suitable resting place for the band (generally a place where the larger boulders of the Great Stone Plain offer shelter). Just after dusk, one of these scouts will cast the Banner spell, and over the next hour, the herding groups will gather before the cold of night fully sets in.
If no large game animal was killed, then every other day, a giant beetle will be slaughtered once the entire band is gathered (or two beetles, if the band is unusually large). All the aranea will feed upon it. At the end of their day, the aranea huddle together, and a Warmth spell is cast to preserve their ability to wake swiftly if something occurs during the night.
Beetle egg-laying season changes the band's routine. Natural giant beetles in the area will conceal their eggs under rocks (and surround them with a foul-tasting foam). As the land of the Great Stone Plain is not verdant enough for the entire herd to wait in one place for the eggs to hatch, the aranea remove the eggs from their hiding places and use webbing to attach them to the beetles themselves. When the eggs approach hatching time, the band will travel to a more vegetated area -- each band knows several locations like this within its range, either high terrain that catches moisture by orographic lift, or actual oases. When the eggs hatch, the young beetles are ravenous, devouring the vegetation and growing rapidly. The band will split at this point, one part roaming the area in their usual nomadic grazing pattern, while others remain to guard the young beetles. 15 to 20 days after hatching, the two halves of the band reunite and the band moves on.
(The life of nomadic bands on the Middle Sands or the Greenrise is very similar, except that those in the warmer Middle Sands need not take such precautions against the cold of night, and those in the Greenrise often shelter in caves.)
Demographics
Mygalla faced a severe demographic crisis in its early existence. The founder population of Mygalla was extremely small - after a few generations, genetic issues became critical. The rate of non-viable eggs was very high, and infant mortality was also very high.
The population, which had grown for about four generations (at first extremely rapidly, due to the egg-laying nature of both planar spiders and aranea) rapidly found itself at risk of extinction through aging. About 170 local years after the Mygallan founder population separated from the Chak - or around BC 1100 in Mystaran terms - the Mygallans realized the seriousness of the situation. By this point, only 1 in 8 of the newest generation's eggs were viable, and those that did hatch faced fearsomely high infant mortality - overall, only one in 30 eggs became an adult Mygallan. And this rate was rapidly worsening.
The early Mygallans' greatest spellcasters devoted their efforts to the problem. They had very few clerics - at this time, out of the few thousand Mygallans, only three clerics existed, and none were of much power (none could manage a Raise Dead or Cureall, and Cure Disease proved unable to help non-viable eggs). So they had to pursue a solution through arcane means -- and they managed to do so. Through extensive magical research into spells and the arts of potion-making, they were able to create a "cure" - an unique potion that would repair the Mygallans' genetic problems. It took over a decade to produce enough to treat the entire population, even as small as it was - and even though only those of reproductive age were included - since some of the needed ingredients were very difficult to obtain.
This solution preserved the Mygallan aranea species, but had unintended side effects. The genetic changes that had begun during the period of crisis were not reversed, except as necessary to make aranea eggs viable again - in fact, some changes were accelerated, to create a new stable form. The division of Mygallan aranea into Webwalker and Shapewalker, and the existence of "coastal" and "desert" forms among Webwalkers, was a result of this accelerated change.
After this, the population grew again. The viability rate was much higher, and infant mortality was also somewhat lower (though still quite high). However, the growth was not especially rapid. Those who expanded into the deep desert often died, and the "genetically reconstructed" Mygallans generally laid fewer eggs than their ancestors. Periods of growth have alternated with periods of approximate population stability over the last thousand local years, but the overall trend has been distinctly one of growth.
Current Demographics
Today, egg viability rate is about 75%, vs. about 12% before the changes. Combined with a still fairly high infant mortality rate, about 1 in 3 Mygallan eggs survives to become an adult on average.
Mygallans usually pair-bond for the first time about five local years (~9 Mystaran years) after adulthood (i.e. generally somewhere in the 30-40 age range in our terms). After the hatchlings have grown to maximum size, and are well on their way toward adulthood, the pair will part; after a while, they will pair-bond with others and repeat the process until about the age of 95 Mystaran years (50 local years). Average generation time in Mygalla is about 60 Mystaran years or 32 local years.
Shapewalkers have significantly lower infant mortality, but their population is not large enough to influence the overall Mygallan average very much. The Shapewalker population is quite stable, despite the lower mortality, because spending so much time in humanoid form means they lay fewer eggs over a lifetime on average than Webwalkers.
Those Webwalkers who advance in magical ability (and often become leaders of bands), generally do not pair-bond until somewhat later in life than the average - if at all; many never do - as they have devoted their spare time to the study of magic.
The current population of Mygalla (~120,000) is still growing, though now very slowly. The doubling time is about 260 local (~480 Mystaran) years, or about eight generations. The proportion of Webwalkers to Shapewalkers is also slowly increasing: over the last four generations, the number of Shapewalkers has stayed approximately constant at around 10,000, while the number of Webwalkers has grown from 80,000 to 110,000.
Mygalla from Outside Eyes
"This must truly be one of the greatest sights in our world. The warm, mist-bearing waters of the Rifted Sea[1] are themselves a wondrous thing, so different from the chill, dark waters of my own Silverhome Sea. Above the waters, the great cliff of Mygalla rises as a sheer wall of red and ochre rock. The crown of the mighty cliff is lost beyond sight in the overhanging clouds for much of the day. Even when the early afternoon sun breaks the clouds, the clifftop seems impossibly high. The sun's radiance brings out the full glory of the colored rock, showing subtle marks of violet, yellow, beige, and tan shot through the red stone. For miles upon miles, the cliffs extend without break or pass; no beach or shelf shows at the water line. Then, suddenly, a cluster of strange structures come into sight beyond a rock outcropping; on and just above a shelf about ten paces above the water, these hemispheres of woven webbing cling to the ledge and to the cliff itself. Beneath it, many ropes and ladders of webbing stretch down to the water, where an odd-looking raft is moored. As we approach, the inhabitants can be distinguished - huge green spiders at least as large as our people."
- from the journal of Denndrin of Treel[2], apprentice Gren trader, on his first trip to Mygalla
"Deep Port is a town with a double nature. The waterfront and traders' section is built for us - stone and brick buildings made for people with two arms and two legs. We deal with Shapewalker traders who use our form.
But inland and upland, where the buildings become composites of stone and webbing - up toward the great stone fortress-wall that blocks the narrowing canyon - it is built for the spider-folk. Those structures are difficult for us to navigate; aranea use walls as floors, and doors may be nowhere near the floor. It is best to stay near the waterfront..."
- from the journal of Anadrin of Karad, gren trader
"There is surely no place in the world like Mountain Cliff. A steep canyon rises from the water to the unknown inner lands of Mygalla, cutting through the massive cliff wall. Amidst the canyon, a sheer-sided peak of rock separated from the main cliff rises thousands of feet, its small flat top crowned with a stone watchtower. Behind the docks, a crazy assemblage of structures - composed of aranea webbing, stone, or both - fill the mouth of the narrow canyon, leading up to a massive, guarded fortress wall that blocks entry to the forbidden inner lands. Like the other border towns of Mygalla, the defenses of this place - both physical and magical - are extremely formidable. First to be noted is the huge advantage of position the topography allows the defenders..."
- from The Perilous Southlands, an Imperial treatise on lands beyond the Empire, c. YE 885[3]
"Never cross the Mygallan Hills; never intrude upon the Webbed Folk's solitude. There is no honor in fighting the spider-wizards, no more than in swinging a sword against the sand storm or the avalanche; there is only a foolish death."
- maxim taught to every Noctauran in childhood
1. "Rifted Sea" is the most common local name for the Valles Marineris. Some more devoted to elemental religions call it the Blessing of Water or Protius' Gift. Imperial maps call it the Mother Canal, but this name is not used locally.
2. The Treel clan of Grens is ultimately descended from Borodra Treel, the sister of Ogdoban Treel, a biologist on the Beagle and the commander of one of three exploration teams stranded on Vaniae.
3. i.e. 15 local years (28 Mystaran years) ago. The Imperial year YE 900 corresponds with AC 1000 on Mystara.
Nearly all outsiders who enter Mygalla arrive over the waters of the Valles; their first view of the aranea lands is the great cliff of the Valles' southern side, rising over a mile and a half above the waters. Over most of their length, the cliffs descend sheer into the water; there is no beach or suitable landing place. The few spots where a ledge or gentler slope exists near water level are the site of the aranea coastal communities. The four Shapewalker towns - the sites of most interaction between Mygallans and outsiders - are set at the four sites where a lesser canyon joins the Valles and cuts down to water level, providing an entrance-way into the interior of Mygalla. Indeed, to most of the world, Mygalla is the coastal region - the vast majority of its land area is unseen, unvisited, and irrelevant.
The other, much rarer, route is over the bordering mountains and hills. Most often, this is used by the geonids and Rock Men who live south of Mygalla; Shapewalker outposts have been built in several southern passes to handle trade and other interactions with these mineral beings. There is also an outpost built along the Noctaurus border, away from the coast, guarding the one clearly passable approach; some small-scale trade with Noctaurus occurs here, though most is done through the town of Canyon Gate on the coast.
The interior regions of Mygalla - the Great Stone Plain, the Middle Sands, and the Dune Basin - are very rarely seen by any non-aranea. The Webwalker aranea have no interest in allowing other beings to visit; all trade is carried out in border regions by the Shapewalkers.
Of course, the borders of Mygalla are far too long to be watched by the small number of Shapewalkers; it is entirely possible to sneak in. Formidable natural barriers - the great coastal cliff, or the bordering mountain range - block most of Mygalla's borders, but these can be bypassed (for example, by magical flight). Flying intruders, if seen, will be confronted by aranea mages using the fly spell themselves - but on the long stretches of cliff far from villages, or much of the mountain border, there will probably be no one to see.
However, this is extremely dangerous! Eventually, the intruders will meet some aranea - probably Webwalkers - in the interior, and be attacked fiercely. The aranea are not generally cruel or wicked, but they consider any non-aranea bypassing the trade cities or outposts to have demonstrated hostile intent. (If, for some exceptional reason, the Shapewalkers allow a non-aranea into the interior of Mygalla, the visitor(s) will be accompanied at all times - the Shapewalkers doing so will both watch the visitors, and inform Webwalkers that the visitors are there by permission, preventing an attack).
It is therefore quite possible for an individual or small group (such as an adventuring party) to enter Mygalla by stealth, but they will have to complete their mission very quickly and stealthily and leave. Staying to fight when discovered will mean death -Banner spells will be cast to alert more aranea, which will alert more, and so on; Mygallan forces will rapidly gather until the invaders flee or are killed. Even powerful parties wielding high-level magic will ultimately be unable to stand against thousands of spellcasters led by Master-level Shapewalkers.