Here's another article that didn't make it in Wayfinder, a few years ago. And I can understand why- the NPC stat had some gross mistakes. Revised and adjusted, I present it to my faithful readers now. Hope she can be your BBEG sometimes.
We, the Daughters, don’t know whose daughters we are. Our origins are a mystery even for us.
Many foolish humans say that we are just spiders transformed by magic, or some other eldritch force. They think so because our young are born in spider form, and only with maturity we become able to change our shape. It’s a misconception coming from stupidity and ignorance, well showing how lowly they are.
I also heard some stories about a powerful human shapechanger who joined in love with a giant spider, generating our race. She allegedly was a female, which would explain why there are no males among us. This is also a theory I reject– because it implies that we have common origins with the lowly humans, and that our birth was an act of blasphemy, and we are somewhat inferior to them.
It is indeed true that we depend from humans and humanoids for our kind to survive, and this is a worrying fact. Spiders have their own males, and so the inferior species, but we have none. What if continued mating with humans should weaken our blood and powers in the end? What if our daughters become more and more human– till one day our people is all but gone? We don’t know our past. We know of no gods who could have generated us. And we are unsure about our future. We are alone. We feel so alone.
And yet– why should things stay this way? Our Queen seems not to worry about these very important questions. She likes keeping her many human slaves and living as we have always done, without thinking about our species’ essence, without thinking about tomorrow. This is not how a true leader should be. The Queen is weak and corrupt. We can continue following her and stagnate miserably waiting for our end– or we can dare to face our future and take a great step forward.
If we, the Daughters, have no memory of our first mother– why couldn’t we choose one? Why couldn’t we become adoptive daughters, if not blood daughters? It’s not a long time since the Goddess came into my dreams, and I achieved knowledge of Her glory. And I learned about other beings in distant lands, not so different from us, who worship Her, whom She created and protects and loves.
Why couldn’t She have created us, too? Maybe She did, and we simply forgot. But even if it was not so, why couldn’t She love us as Her daughters, and why shouldn’t we embrace what She can give us? We could break free from the old, near–sighted ones who want us to be tied forever to this lowly way of life. Instead of merely dominating the humans, we could wipe them away, and become independent from them. Maybe we could have our own males to lovingly bear our dear children. And maybe, one day– we could welcome more power in our bodies, and become more similar to the Goddess herself. We could achieve a greatness we never dreamt before, and leave this meager world to lay our eggs in the wombs of planets and suns, and transform into wonderful new shapes.
To do all this, my sisters, we need to learn. We need to force ourselves to live in new ways. And sacrifices will be needed, of course– but great is the reward who waits the daring…
–From Lady Yao’s preachings
The jorogumo cult to the Demon Lord of Vermin is maybe the only form of worship she has in the Eastern Land, and could be the most organized one in the known world, though it’s still a clandestine movement. Apparently the founder, the high priestess Lady Yao, came to know about the demoness through tales told by underground travelers, or from some “mates” coming from another continent whom she pleased to question before cocooning. However, she pledged obedience to her, and the Spider Queen seemed to hear her prayers.
Among jorogumos, who mostly despise the demoness, Yao’s religious fanaticism is a rarity. Unusually kempt and beautiful for a follower of that religion, she quickly attracted many converts among the youngest and most fervent of her race. The Queen apparently doesn’t know about the cult yet, or if she knows she didn’t make any open move to crush it.
The cult is based in some smaller settlements on the outskirts of the jorogumo capital. Besides Lady Yao herself, it’s formed by a few low–level clerics, warpriests and inquisitors, and a number of fanatically devoted slayers. Yao takes great care not to leave anyone come near to her power level, to maintain unquestioned leadership and authority.
The High Priestess’ teachings revolve mostly around the need to find a new way to produce offspring, leading to “freedom” from humanoid mates, whom she despises, and a new power for the jorogumo race. Cultists these days increasingly demand to have spider–like monsters to mate with, rather than humans and humanoids, and this makes them more acceptable for the enslaved denizens, together with their words of overthrowing the Queen. Little do the poor peasants know about Lady Yao’s plan of killing all humans in the land when they need them no more.
Until now all attempts to reproduce using animal and monstrous partners achieved no success. Yao seems obsessed in particular with the fabled “sons of the Spider Mother” known as driders, and it’s said that she would offer great rewards to whomever brings her a drider to mate with, even if she never saw one.
Lady Yao (CR 18)
XP 153,600
Female jorogumoB3 druid (Blight DruidAPG) 12
NE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +30
Defense
AC 30, touch 15, flat-footed 25 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural)
hp 324 (14d10 + 12d8 + 182 +12)
Fort +19, Ref +17, Will +26
DR 10/cold iron and magic; Immune poison, diseases (including supernatural diseases), sickening or nauseating effects
Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee +1 dancing ominousUE scimitar +29/+24/+19/+14 (1d6 +5/18–20 plus target is shaken for 1 minute, DC 13 Will save to negate), bite +28 (1d6+5/19–20 plus poison: save Fort DC 30; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d6 Wisdom damage; cure 3 saves), 2 claws +28 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks arachnidal rebirth 1/day (DC 32), miasma (DC 23), sneak attack +3d6, web (+18 ranged, DC 30, 26 hp), wild shape 5/day (Huge/Diminutive animal, Medium/Huge elemental, or Small/Huge plant: beast shape III, elemental body IV, or plant shape III).
Spell–Like Abilities (CL 24th; concentration +33)
At will– charm person (DC 20), detect thoughts (DC 21)
3/day–animate rope, bestow curse (DC 23), suggestion (DC 22)
2/day– web (DC 19)
1/day– hold monster (DC 24), poison (DC 23) snare, summon nature’s ally V (1 ogre spider or 1d3 giant black widow spiders or 1d4+1 giant spiders), vermin shape II
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 12th; concentration +19)
6th Level– antilife shell*, dispel magic, greater, plague stormUM (DC 23), swarm skin
5th Level– contagion, greaterUM (DC 22), hungry earthMC, raise animal companionUM, stoneskin (DC 22), vermin shape II*UM
4th Level–bloody clawsAPG (DC 21), caustic bloodISG (DC 21), earth glideARG (DC 21), giant vermin*, strong jawAPG (DC 21)
3rd Level– aggravate afflictionAP82, companion mind linkUC, contagion (DC 20), dominate animal* (DC 20), magic fang, greater (DC 20), poison (DC 20), protection from energy (DC 20)
2nd Level– accelerate poisonAPG (DC 19), control verminMC (DC 19), euphoric cloudACG (DC 19), feast of ashes (DC 19), hold animal*, summon swarm, whip of spidersACG
1st Level– blendARG, calm animals*, detect snares and pits, jump (DC 18), keen senses (DC 18), magic fang (DC 18), nauseating dartACG (DC 18)
0–Level– detect magic, detect poison, read magic, resistance (DC 17)
* Domain spell; Domain Animal (InsectDA)
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 19, Con 24, Int 17, Wis 24, Cha 28
Base Atk +23; CMB +28; CMD 44
Feats Boon CompanionAA, Combat Expertise, Damned DiscipleBotD, Dodge, Fiendish ObedienceBotD (Mazmezz), Improved Critical (bite), Improved Iron Will, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +23, Climb +29 (+37 with spider legs), Diplomacy +22, Intimidate +27, Knowledge (nature) +20, Knowledge (planes) +15, Knowledge (religion) +17, Perception +30, Perform (oratory) +27, Perform (string) +13, Sense Motive +27, Stealth +29, Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Climb with spider legs
Languages Aklo, Common, Druidic, Sylvan
SQ animal companion (giant spider), change shape (giant spider; vermin shape IUM), demonic boons (Mazmezz’s Embrace, Spider’s Blessing, Arachnidal Rebirth), exoskeleton 10/day (+3 AC, 1d4+6 hp), miasma, nature sense, spider empathy (+35), swift shapechanger, vermin empathy +21, woodland stride
Gear +3 creepingUE glameredUE hide armor (made of a flexible chitinous substance)
Sweetest, Female Giant Spider Animal Companion (Druid Level 13)
N Medium vermin
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +7
Defense
AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 19 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural)
hp 84 (13d8+13+13)
Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +3; +4 vs. enchantment spells and effects (devotion), +4 vs. hot, cold and suffocation (Endurance)
Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee bite +10/+5 (1d6+2 plus poison)
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 25 (37 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Stealthy, Toughness
Skills Climb +19, Perception +7 (+11 in webs), Stealth +11 (+15 in webs)
SQ link, share spells, evasion, tricks (aid, attack, defend, detect, flank, guard, maneuver [pin], menace, seek, sneak, watch)
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1 Strength damage; cure 1 save, Con-based DC.
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