Giant spiders are a species of mutated arachnids.
Background[]
Giant Spiders are usually surrounded by myth and legend about where they came from. However, Giant Spiders were originally engineered by the United States government in state-funded labs, designed for future combat operations similar to the Deathclaw.
Scientists from West Tek began experimenting with regular desert spiders and other species from around the East and West Coast in secret government installations, and as a result, post-War giant spiders vary from coast to coast. Following the Great War, the Giant Spider specimens escaped their installations into the wasteland. While giant spiders experienced little mutation unlike other post-War creatures and primarily preyed on smaller creatures, the Western giant spiders experienced a significant mutation when a group of them were captured and refined by the Master through genetic manipulation and the Forced Evolutionary Virus, turning them into lethal hunters and predators.
They gradually spread about across the two coasts, entering into common consciousness as a lethal predator. Some were experimented upon by the Enclave, but in the end were crossed out as potential test subjects.
Biology[]
Giant spiders are a large, carnivorous, octupedal arachnid species, designed to serve multiple roles. Having 8 legs, giant spiders are fast in comparison to other wasteland creatures. Giant spiders also have large fangs, able to inject out extremely-toxic venom at relatively long distances. However, giant spiders are far from perfect. Their eyesight is poor, relying heavily on their sense of smell, which can be easily manipulated by other aniamls and humans. Despite its flaws, giant spiders remain as a creature the unprepared should not reckon with.
Behavior[]
The behavior of spiders vary from coast to coast. Western giant spiders are typically solitary, territorial animals, preferring to only interact with others of its kind when mating, and are aggressive towards all creatures. Meanwhile, eastern giant spiders tend to form communities, constructing large communal cobwebs and prefer hunt their prey in packs usually avoiding humans and other creatures in the process.
Variants[]
Eastern giant spiders[]
Eastern giant spiders are a subspecies of giant spiders. While they are smaller than their western counterparts, their claws are sharp, able to pierce through smaller creatures without much ease. They prefer to hunt in packs, and tend to avoid humans and larger creatures.
Western giant spiders[]
Western giant spiders are a subspecies of giant spiders. Larger than their eastern counterparts, western giant spiders boast extremely-toxic venom that they can inject out through long distances. However, their eyesight is worse than their eastern brethren, forcing them to heavily rely on their sense of smell. They are solitary creatures, preferring to hunt alone, and are aggressive to every creature near it.
Giant peacock spider[]
Giant peacock spiders are a subspecies of giant spiders. Descending from the peacock spider, giant peacock spiders were created by accident in the aftermath of the Great War. In a vein similar to that of radscorpions and giant mantids, over the generations, these spiders evolved and adapted to their new environment.
Similar to the size of a giant spider, these invertebrates are known for the colorful and usually iridescent patterns on the upper surface of the abdomen, which are often enhanced with lateral flaps or bristles. Only the males have these bright patterns, and they are displayed during courtship. Females lack these bright colors, having cryptic coloration instead.