Nyvlaat (Spider Crusaders)

## The Rivals

Native to S'sata'vol, the Nyvlaat are a sentient, extremely religious race of humanoid arthropods, inhabiting all but the Hellfire Isle- Having been pushed out long ago by the Ann'mui. In essence, the Nyvlaat are S'sata'vol's equivalent of the Ann'mui, however, the two species frequently butt heads- Going so far as to undergo a brief period of full-scale war between each other at the First Galaxy's return, though a shaky peace has since been established, as the insane morale boost given to the Ann'mui by Ar-i pushed them to tear through the Nyvlaat until they reached near the point of collapse; Though, through an excessively generous series of compromises, the tense relationship with the Nyvlaat has been cooled to the point where the two frequently exchange bits of their culture, making them a great subject of interest to Ann'mui scientists.

## Biology

### Head

#### Brains

Unlike nearly all other known creatures, the Nyvlaat possess three separate brains; All oriented in the head, with the "Upper" brain devoted entirely to higher cognitive function, the "Lower" brain handling motor skills and instinct, and "Transitional" brain serving mostly as a highway through which information jumps between the other two. While none can truly function independently from the others, the "Bleed" of functions from brain to brain is extremely minimal, and, while in action, other than memory hopping from top to bottom, an individual brain very much controls its own domain. With all three working in conjunction, their instincts in combat can often match the extremely deep wells of experience housed within the minds of their Ann'mui rivals blow-for-blow, and, because of these instincts being preferred over experience- Of which the Nyvlaat are generally lacking, do to their enclosed lifestyles- They can often be extremely unpredictable in one-on-one engagements.

##### Functions - Upper Brain

* Higher cognitive functions
* Sensory processing
* Memory processing

##### Functions - Transitional Brain

* Memory storage
* Information relay between Upper and Lower brains

##### Functions - Lower Brain

* Instinct
* Fine/Rough motor control

#### Eyes

Much like a chameleon, the six eyes of the Nyvlaat can turn and focus independently of each other, making it incredibly difficult to ambush them without addling their minds beforehand, and, to make matters worse, the eyes curve around the armoured bone of their heads, giving them three-hundred-fifty-degrees of vision. To add to these already-powerful advantages, both the sclera and irises have a vividly crimson bioluminescent glow, granting considerably effective vision in dark environments, which, under the shadowed canopy of S'sata'vol's thick jungles, makes them particularly dangerous.

#### Mandibles

The Nyvlaat have two pairs of mandibles; One much larger, much more muscular pair at the very bottom of the head, and a second, narrower towards the middle of what could be considered the jawline. The larger pair is considered the primary pair, as it connects directly to the rest of the mouth, and is used the most, while the thinner pair functions similarly to pedipalps, directing food towards the mouth itself.

### Arms

One of the most striking features of the Nyvlaat are their arms, of which there are four, each possessing a single hand with vaguely humanoid, long digits, with a pair of small, hooked claws in the place of what could be considered fingernails. Each arm can be utilized individually or in tandem with the others, with more ease than even humans and their own two, due to an entire brain being dedicated to their use. While the Nyvlaat don't have a dominant *hand*, they do typically have a dominant set of *arms*, with the most common being the primary set, in front. "Backhanded" Nyvlaat are far rarer, and believed to have been chosen by their God, which often puts them far from the front lines.

## Social Caste

### Soldiers

Nyvlaat soldiers stand, on average, five-and-a-half to six-and-a-half feet tall, with wide, stocky, muscular builds; Powerful enough that, despite lacking the galvanized muscular structure of the Ann'mui, an unarmed soldier can stand toe-to-toe with their unarmed Volataran counterparts, and often overwhelm them, due to the multiple limbs. They are the heaviest overall, and the most-frequently seen.