Anya Venari
Star Queen Tirathana VII
Partuz
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
There is some very apparent sexual dimorphism between males and females of the species. Whilst the females are bigger, sturdier and tend to nest and cultivate their young, the males are smaller and faster but shorter lived. Indeed, the male is sometimes eaten by the female once they have mated.
Partuz can spin webs like all spiders, but can also project or throw them distances to ensnare or distract prey before moving in for the kill.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
The Partuz have been part of Tygara’s ecosystem from the start. Once, when the planet was cooler and the continents joined they roamed most of the landmasses, but as time went on they retreated to the mountains, forests and especially to the southern continent of Yarkul.
When the Rakata brought their experiment races to Tygara then departed after their war in heaven the Partuz were barely affected. However, when the Vashyada fled to Yarkul they found that the Partuz were well established in the deep forests. First seen as a menace to be exterminated, the Vash killed many of the spiders and drive them back into the depths of the forest, though not without significant losses.
However, the intelligence and potential of the Partuz came to the Vash over time. It is said that Tylania was the very first of the Vash to tame a Partuz queen and allow their drones to be mounted. Tylania modestly declines to confirm this rumour, and there are no solid records to prove this legend true otherwise.
However, what is true is that over time the Vash would seek out Partuz nests. Some, the boldest, would seek to steal eggs from them, an endeavour which few returned from. Others, using the Force formed communion with independent queens and a partnership. In return for providing what amounts to food tribute to the queen she will allow some of her drones to be mounts and used in battle. This relationship is generally solid so long as the original queen and the Vash who formed the partnership lives. When one dies it must be remade with a successor or the drones will return ‘home’.
The difficulty of riding a giant spider, often upside down and through narrow cracks, and then staying on when it runs or pounces are all issues. However, the Vash are tough, resourceful and have quite long lives. With this in mind each clan has a small stable of riders capable of riding and caring for their Partuz. In battle they will assemble, acting as scouts and ambush invaders.
The Qadiri and Xioquo, the other sentient races of Tygara, are not so keen on the Partuz and kill them where they can. This has led to the Partuz being extremely endangered outside Yarkul. Any Qadiri or Xio who wandered senseless into these few areas of deep forest or mountains would often find themselves targeted by Partuz who passed down that they were a threat to their descendants.
Whenever the Qadiri or Xioquo raided Yarkul they would inevitably face the Partuz and their riders in battle. The ill fated Brahdok of the Qadiri attempted an invasion only to be ambushed in the forests. It was said that the Partuz riders of the royal guard led the initial charge, the spiders themselves charging forward without orders, so hungry for meat were they and with so many targets to hunt. Many were slain, but it is said by the Vash at least the Brahdok was slain by a Partuz which pulled her from her Yazgid and injected a fatal venom dose after its rider had been killed.
With the arrival of Firemane the conditions of the Vash changed forever. Suddenly the whole galaxy was before them, and soon enough they had their own ark ship; the Light of Yarkul. Many wondered whether the Partuz would cope in space, but they needn’t have feared. A particularly intelligent queen from near the Dark Heart was tamed by Tylania herself and formed a super-colony on board the ship. She was not competing with other queens and nests, but formed a mutual alliance with them, creating a large group of over 500 Partuz on board – and growing! Needless to say some were not happy, even alarmed, by this turn of events, but the drones have been no trouble so far though they are not allowed to hunt outside their reserve.
Partuz and their riders are now available to use across the galaxy by the Vashyada, to the horror of arachnophobes everywhere! The only downside is that drones require frequent contact with their queen, so units of Partuz riders are obliged to bring the queen with them to keep the drones in line.
Further, a Vash trader accidentally released a queen and male pair of Partuz on Arkas, leading to an explosion of a wild population in the jungles as they have no natural predators and few humanoid settlements to hinder them. Efforts to contain or control have been unsuccessful so far.
The Partuz represent a very interesting example of symbiosis with the Vashyada. They also form a very useful and productive example of adaption into space.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create
terrifying nightmarecute and cuddly giant spiders to inhabit Tygara and to be used as mounts for the Vashyada. - Image Credit: Here.
- Canon: Spiders exist in canon, these are similar in form but different.
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Vashyada, Tylania, Light of Yarkul, Arkas, Qadiri, Yazgid, Xioquo,
- Name: Partuz – the crawlers.
- Designation: Almost all are non-sentient. The queens and certain drones who dwell near the Dark Heart are considered semi-sentient.
- Origins: Tygara.
- Average Lifespan: 7-10 years for drones, 2-4 years for males and 12-15 for queens in the wild are common. In captivity they can sometimes live for up to double this.
- Estimated Population: Planetary – though found mainly on the southern continent of Yarkul they can be found in scattered populations across Tygara.
There is some very apparent sexual dimorphism between males and females of the species. Whilst the females are bigger, sturdier and tend to nest and cultivate their young, the males are smaller and faster but shorter lived. Indeed, the male is sometimes eaten by the female once they have mated.
Partuz can spin webs like all spiders, but can also project or throw them distances to ensnare or distract prey before moving in for the kill.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
- Breathes: Type I or II.
- Average Height of Adults: 1.8m
- Average Length of Adults: 2.5m
- Skin color: Shades of green/grey/brown. Their hides blend well into arboreal settings allowing them to hide in forests and grasslands easily.
- Hair color: Small whitish hairs or fronds on their legs, heads and bellies.
- Distinctions:
- 8 legs and eyes.
- A tough carapace which can resist a lot of physical harm.
- Rarely form barrier webs except as a means of protecting their Queen. More often use their webs to bind prey or to throw them at opponents.
- Can be trained and used as riding mounts in battle.
- Has a powerful venom which it can transmit through biting.
- Races: Captive and raised spiders tend to be bigger and more friendly due to the connection with their handlers and more frequent meals.
- Force Sensitivity: Non-sensitive.
- Stalker. With its camouflage, near-silent movements and ability to hide in seemingly too small holes, the Partuz is an excellent ambusher. It can also fling webs a moderate distance to potentially ensnare targets smaller than it. This can include humanoids or other animals.
- Venom. The Partuz can inject venom into those it bites. This venom acts as a paralytic and also starts to break down the target for easier consumption. This poison is capable of rendering many humanoids or animals paralysed within a few minutes, though an anti-toxin or strong constitution may delay or nullify the effects.
- Carapace. The thick hide of the Partuz protects it from a lot of harm. Primitive melee and ranged weapons have little chance of hurting it except if it hits in the head. Even blasters or modern slugthrowers will find penetrating the tough hide difficult.
- Animal. Though quite intelligent for an arachnid, the Partuz is still not sentient. It can be distracted or frightened by fire or other means. Likewise, they do not use tools or have a language they can communicate to sentients with.
- Weapons. Some modern weaponry, especially lightsabres and heavy weapons, can pierce their tough carapace with ease.
- Climate. Used to the cool, shadowed forests of Yarkul, the Partuz are not used to big shifts in climate and especially like hot deserts or frozen tundra. Though not hypersensitive to light, moving in a glaring hot desert would not be pleasant for a Partuz.
- Diet: Carnivore, though the Partuz is not picky over live meat or carrion. They will eat anything big enough for them to consume. However, once they have eaten the Partuz can often go without food again for a number of days. They rarely require water to drink so long as their meals have some ‘juice’ in them still.
- Communication: Pheromones, body language. They do not have a language per se.
- Technology level: N/A.
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A.
- General behaviour:
- Society and structure: Unlike other arachnids, the Partuz form colonies with a queen at the centre not unlike ants or bees. These queens are much rarer than the normal drones, and when they are birthed they are raised in the colony until they are adults. At this point they fight among themselves and the existing queen. Sometimes one succeeds in overthrowing an existing queen, but usually they are driven out to form their own colonies. Colonies vary in size, but usually number some 30-50 in number.
- Family and mating: Once a queen has left its birth colony it wanders until it finds a good place to nest. At that point it deploys powerful pheromones which draw male spiders to her. These males display their strength and fight each other for the honour of mating, though sometimes the queen will simply eat an unworthy match. Usually though she will mate and the male will stay until the first eggs hatch, at which point he will leave or be eaten.
- Drones: Drones are produced in large numbers by the queen. These drones create web barriers, hunt and protect the nests. As Partuz are very large their nests’ domain can cover a square kilometre or more.
- Hunting: Partuz drones hunt in groups, sometimes as many as ten. They will often hunt by ambush, hiding in trees and first flinging web ‘lassos’ at their target, after which they will pounce and poison targets. Some are eaten in the field but a lion’s share is returned to the queen who rewards the best hunters with additional food.
- Coordination: Though certainly not sentient, the Partuz, and especially their queens are capable of working together in order to build or hunt. However, the queens are capable of working with Vash they bond with and also with other queens on rare occasions.
- Domestication: It is not easy to domesticate a hive-like group, but it can be done. The best way is to raise or tame a queen before she starts her nest. Doing this leads to a connection between the Vashyada and the Partuz almost as allies. This is especially true of the smarter ones influenced by the Dark Heart. The use of the Force to bond with queens makes this partnership even more successful.
- Egg-raised: The less successfully means of raising Partuz as mounts is to steal eggs from a nest and raise the drones from birth. This is not only dangerous – stealing the eggs often means killing a whole nest. It is also inefficient because the numbers cannot be replenished as drones are sterile.
- Cavalry: Partuz raised and tamed by one means or another are very effective and loyal mounts…even if they are a steep learning curve. Vashyada with vertigo or arachnophobia need not apply! In battle they are most effective striking as shock ambush cavalry, either deploying their webs or pouncing enemies. If its rider is killed the Partuz can often either become enraged and will fight ferociously rather than flee.
- Affection: Whether with other drones or with their riders, the Partuz can develop some quite strong bonds. This can be a little odd for Vash not used to it. The Partuz tend to show affection by dry (venom-free) nips, rubbing their legs or playfully webbing each other. They also enjoy having their heads stroked by their riders which is somewhat cute considering their otherwise terrifying appearance!
The Partuz have been part of Tygara’s ecosystem from the start. Once, when the planet was cooler and the continents joined they roamed most of the landmasses, but as time went on they retreated to the mountains, forests and especially to the southern continent of Yarkul.
When the Rakata brought their experiment races to Tygara then departed after their war in heaven the Partuz were barely affected. However, when the Vashyada fled to Yarkul they found that the Partuz were well established in the deep forests. First seen as a menace to be exterminated, the Vash killed many of the spiders and drive them back into the depths of the forest, though not without significant losses.
However, the intelligence and potential of the Partuz came to the Vash over time. It is said that Tylania was the very first of the Vash to tame a Partuz queen and allow their drones to be mounted. Tylania modestly declines to confirm this rumour, and there are no solid records to prove this legend true otherwise.
However, what is true is that over time the Vash would seek out Partuz nests. Some, the boldest, would seek to steal eggs from them, an endeavour which few returned from. Others, using the Force formed communion with independent queens and a partnership. In return for providing what amounts to food tribute to the queen she will allow some of her drones to be mounts and used in battle. This relationship is generally solid so long as the original queen and the Vash who formed the partnership lives. When one dies it must be remade with a successor or the drones will return ‘home’.
The difficulty of riding a giant spider, often upside down and through narrow cracks, and then staying on when it runs or pounces are all issues. However, the Vash are tough, resourceful and have quite long lives. With this in mind each clan has a small stable of riders capable of riding and caring for their Partuz. In battle they will assemble, acting as scouts and ambush invaders.
The Qadiri and Xioquo, the other sentient races of Tygara, are not so keen on the Partuz and kill them where they can. This has led to the Partuz being extremely endangered outside Yarkul. Any Qadiri or Xio who wandered senseless into these few areas of deep forest or mountains would often find themselves targeted by Partuz who passed down that they were a threat to their descendants.
Whenever the Qadiri or Xioquo raided Yarkul they would inevitably face the Partuz and their riders in battle. The ill fated Brahdok of the Qadiri attempted an invasion only to be ambushed in the forests. It was said that the Partuz riders of the royal guard led the initial charge, the spiders themselves charging forward without orders, so hungry for meat were they and with so many targets to hunt. Many were slain, but it is said by the Vash at least the Brahdok was slain by a Partuz which pulled her from her Yazgid and injected a fatal venom dose after its rider had been killed.
With the arrival of Firemane the conditions of the Vash changed forever. Suddenly the whole galaxy was before them, and soon enough they had their own ark ship; the Light of Yarkul. Many wondered whether the Partuz would cope in space, but they needn’t have feared. A particularly intelligent queen from near the Dark Heart was tamed by Tylania herself and formed a super-colony on board the ship. She was not competing with other queens and nests, but formed a mutual alliance with them, creating a large group of over 500 Partuz on board – and growing! Needless to say some were not happy, even alarmed, by this turn of events, but the drones have been no trouble so far though they are not allowed to hunt outside their reserve.
Partuz and their riders are now available to use across the galaxy by the Vashyada, to the horror of arachnophobes everywhere! The only downside is that drones require frequent contact with their queen, so units of Partuz riders are obliged to bring the queen with them to keep the drones in line.
Further, a Vash trader accidentally released a queen and male pair of Partuz on Arkas, leading to an explosion of a wild population in the jungles as they have no natural predators and few humanoid settlements to hinder them. Efforts to contain or control have been unsuccessful so far.
The Partuz represent a very interesting example of symbiosis with the Vashyada. They also form a very useful and productive example of adaption into space.
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