SPIDERS OF LENG

Hunters of the desolate plains of Leng

There were scenes of old wars, wherein Leng’s almost-humans fought with the bloated purple spiders of the neighboring vales; and there were also scenes of the coming of the black galleys from the moon, and of the submission of Leng’s people to the polypous and amorphous blasphemies that hopped and floundered and wriggled out of them.

The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1927

These creatures are similar to terrestrial spiders, but many times larger and more dangerous. Their bloated purple body may be the most obvious difference from known members of this genus, but Leng spiders possess a surprising level of intelligence, making them deadly hunters. They once ruled over the plains and valleys of Leng, but were driven out by the people of Leng. Almost nothing is known about their way of life, including whether they build colonies and whether there is such a thing as a spider queen. Since the Plateau of Leng has always been a place where the lines between the dreamlands and the waking world blur, it is likely that the spiders’ influence is not limited to Leng himself. An idea that could cause many a sleepless night.

SPECIAL POWERS 

Egg Laying: There is a widespread fear of spiders laying their eggs inside living things. These spiders really do it. And they grow to be over two meters tall. Vibration Sense: The spider can sense even the smallest vibrations in its environment and thus track down its prey.

Venom: If the venom of a spider by Leng bites into a character’s bloodstream, the character becomes dazed and must make a Con test after 1d6 rounds. If the test fails, the character falls into a deep sleep. His metabolism and bodily functions are then reduced to a minimum. How long a character survives in this state and when they wake up again depends on the dose of the poison and is entirely up to the GM.

After a successful bite, the spider will usually retreat and wait for the venom to take effect. Then she drags her sleeping victim into her dwelling and eats it there. Sometimes stunned victims are also stored as supplies or used for laying eggs. It is rumored that the venom of a Leng spider, in the right dose, can be used to travel to the Dreamlands and stay there for a long time.

Knockdown: If the victim is still alive after a successful attack, the force of the attack knocks them to the ground.

Unnatural Swiftness: The creature is always considered a fast-moving target. It can also use the dodge action against firearms.

Stealth: Leng spiders are dangerous hunters, able to blend their appearance so much into their surroundings that they almost blend into it. This leads to almost complete invisibility. Noticing a camouflaged Leng spider lurking motionless in close proximity requires a successful vigilance test, with a penalty of up to -40% even at a distance.

Wall-walking: A spider from Leng can also easily crawl along the ceiling and walls.

Yog-Sothothery: The connection between the spiders of Leng and a more powerful entity, the mother of all spiders, is not only imaginable, but almost obvious. Presumably such a being, perhaps even an Ancient One, would rule the fabric of reality. After all, Leng and its Earth counterpart are in constant overlap. Whether the web of Leng’s spiders has yet to be completed or has already been woven and must not tear is the subject of numerous myths and legends.

SPIDERS OF LENG, Hunters of the desolate plains of Leng

STR: 20

CON: 20

DEX: 16

INT: 14

POW: 12

HP: 20

Damage Bonus/Lethality: +#D#

Build: Large

Willpower Points: 12

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 1

Fighting attacks: .

Bite 60%, Damage 2d6 HP, Armor Piercing 3 (see Knockdown and Poison ) .

Dodge: ##%

Armor: 5 points from chitin armor.

Skills: Athletics 40%, Stealth 60%, Vigilance 40%.

Rituals: None

Sanity Loss: 1/1d8.

This creature description is translated from the German version published by FHTAGN-RPG.