Aranea The araneas ( sometimes called " werespiders " ) were a magical race of sentient , shape - changing spider - like creatures inhabiting the Spider Swamp in Calimshan . Description . While they were not true lycanthropes , aranea could transform between the appearance of a humanoid and a giant monstrous spider . Their humanoid form was that of a Calishite human , a Calishite half - elf , or , in some rare cases , a drow . The form and gender they could take was fixed at birth . In their natural form , these creatures appeared to be giant humpbacked spiders with some subtle differences . In this form they also had a pair of short arms ending in many - jointed fingers and double - jointed thumbs , which extended from below their mandibles . Oddly , their brain was not located in their head segment but in a large hump on their back . Aranea also could take on a third , hybrid form . This form was humanoid , but the aranea bore sharp fangs , had spinnerets in his or her hands , and had four eyes instead of two . On occasion , the hybrid form would also include additional arms , but never more than 8 in total . Abilities . Aranea were inherently magical beings and could cast a certain number of spells much like a sorcerer or dragon could . They preferred illusion , enchantment , and charm spells and avoided ever casting fire spells . In hybrid or natural forms , aranea had poisonous bites and could throw webs . Combat . Aranea tried to avoid combat , but if pressed into it , they would take advantage of their webs and spells , immobilizing or distracting the most powerful opponents first . They would take prisoners and exchange them for ransom rather than killing them . Personality . Despite their terrifying appearance , the aranea were a peaceful race of beings . They fed on animals and did not prey upon sapient creatures to live . These beings lived far from civilized society , as they are hunted by those who did not understand them . Society . Aranea society was matriarchal , usually ruled by the queen who gave birth to the community . They would occasionally go into other communities disguised as healers or barbarian s to trade or — when the situation warranted doing so — take a new mate to prevent inbreeding . Trade . The aranea , in the disguise of human forms , traded silk , herbs , and poisons with nearby settlements , such as Almraiven and Volothamp . In 1370 DR , a group of them worked secretly for the Silverstars Trading Coster of Saradush . History . According to legend , the aranea were created by Calishite wizard s during the Night Wars to infiltrate the ranks of the drow armies . When the wars ended , the " werespiders " were hunted down and killed or driven into the Spider Swamp . They became a neutral , pacifistic people . Originally , they were only able to change into drow , but after a while , some gained the ability to change into Calishite human or half - elf forms and returned to the human cities incognito as well as spreading out from Calimshan into the wider world . This allowed them to trade their silks , herbs , and poisons with the coastal city of Volothamp . Over 800 years after their banishment , in 290 DR , Qysara Shoon V blamed them for a plague that was ravaging Almraiven . As a result , they were nearly wiped out by Volothamp ' s military . During this time , some adopted the worship of Zanassu , a demon lord of spiders , for protection and came to inhabit a city that was once called Ajhuutal somewhere in the swamp . The Qysara banished their god back to the Abyss two years later , which led to a gradual degradation of their society while the priests of Zanassu desperately awaited their god ' s return for the next 1000 years . When Zanassu did return ( or at least a powerful tanar ' ri who claimed to be him , since Selvetarm had since defeated Zanassu and stolen his divine essence ) , his reign of tyranny lasted for 66 years , during which time his agents completely took over Volothamp ' s government and the aranea became its secret rulers . But when the Time of Troubles came , the demon disappeared without a trace somewhere in the Forest of Mir , combined with the advent of the Darkstalker Wars , this ended the aranea ' s reign as if it had never happened . His priests went back to desperately awaiting his return , still not knowing that they were actually worshiping Selvetarm while the rest of the aranea became relatively peaceful , though they have been violently expanding their territory into the southern reaches of the Forest of Mir . Rumors & Legends . Some drow believed that araneas were transformed from drow for failing Lolth , the Spider Queen . Others maintained that araneas were Lolth ' s first creation before she perfected the drow .