Monsters: The Stone Spider

Rather than build a monstrous compendium in one page (which would be very long after a while) I opted to take the alternative route: showcasing a beast from Andurun every now and again for the reader's pleasure. I'll choose one at random perhaps once a month to share. This month's choice is a little thing I named the Stone Spider. Enjoy!

This monster, while not really a spider at all, wanders about on four legs while another four legs, complete with slender grasping hands, scoop up refuse and prey to feed its insatiable hunger. The Stone Spider stands about 10' tall when fully erect with about an 8' diameter. The four legs it walks with are rigid, looking like straight cuts of rock that come together at a seam (its elbow). Despite the monster’s awkward look it can move with astounding speed when it wishes to. The Spider’s main body looks like a smooth, round boulder with a flat bottom where its eight legs sprout from. The body has a circumference of 4'. Its legs support about 3-5' above the ground, depending on how erect it wishes to walk. The more mobile legs have two joints and a wrist of sorts, which allow it extensive movement. The Stone Spider enters combat by rushing among its enemies and clawing or smashing them with its four mobile hands while moving back and forth or up and down to make itself a less presentable target. During long periods of the day the Stone Spider lays dormant on the ground, folding its walking legs under it and spreading its other legs in any direction from it. When something that feels like prey passes over it springs up and attacks. If it can’t find prey it simply eats carrion, plants, dead wood or mold and mushrooms. The mouth is a cylindrical opening at the bottom of the monster, which is too slow to open and close to be used in battle. Despite the appearance of the Spider it is not hard as stone, the color is simply camouflage to help it hunt in the foothills and highlands that it favors. Stone Spiders are asexual.