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Description

It is funny that the image of a haunted forest tends to always be a deciduous one set in a temperate climate. Just a plain ol' forest, but spooky and at night! Normally I would make fun of such a thing but, honestly, after bunch of trips I think they have just set their stories and myths in the wrong forest. Yes, there are plenty of scary things to run into when walking a dark deciduous forest, but those who want a real scare should visit a bamboo forest. These places and deep thickets feel like the true embodiment of a haunted ecosystem, and it doesn't even have to be nighttime! The towering uniform stalks of the bamboo makes these places feel open and claustrophobic at the same time, and deep thickets tend to keep out most light even on a bright sunny day! With enough thick growths, the ground floor of these forests are bare, save for the occasional desperate plant and a layer of decaying leaves. The endless bamboo turns this place into a disorienting maze, and you struggle to figure out where to go or where you came from. With all this setup, it becomes a nightmare when suddenly the empty forest attacks you. You would have sworn you were alone a second ago, but then claws and darts lash out from nowhere. Locals who live near these deep thickets always have stories of ghosts and unseen assailants, where many victims seemingly vanish. Many of these terrified tales turn out to be true, though a phantom is rarely the culprit. It turns out that the many creatures that live in these forests are really good at hiding, and very good at catching one unaware. Bamboo Snipes alone make every visit to these locations a nightmare, as a single dart from the canopy can drop you before you even realize you are being hunted. Then add in creatures like the Shrimp Stalk, and you got a forest that can come to life at any moment. The plant you lean against or walk past can suddenly spring to life and snare you in its claws. And it isn't just that shrimp that does it! If you are talking about haunted forests from all your books and stories, then you need some spiders to really creep it up!

The existence of the Arucdin took some time for the community to acknowledge, as their lifestyle and the superstition surrounding their homes made it difficult to identify them. First, you had to get people to actually dive into these deep thickets to find them, which many folk weren't too fond of. Then you had to survive long enough to reach them, as the Bamboo Snipes tend to notice large groups moving through their territory. Finally, once you get near one, you actually have to spot them, because they don't hang out in the open. Arucdin are burrowers, so they spend most of their lives buried in the soil. All that you usually see of them is four of their arms but, even then, they aren't easy to identify. These arms are long and thin, and mimic the stalks of the bamboo around them. Just like the Shrimp Stalk, they hide in plain sight, holding themselves straight up as the true body lays buried below. You need a good eye to pick them out from the surrounding vegetation, before you step between them. It doesn't really help with research when you locate the animal only after it sinks its fangs into your legs.

For those who don't know, the Arucdin are spiders who use mimicry to ambush their prey. Like I said, four of their limbs are dedicated to acting like bamboo, waiting for prey to get close. The other four are much stockier and stronger. These are used for burrowing and anchoring, digging out a hole for them to backup into and then keeping them rooted into place. Spiny pedipalps then help scoop dirt and leaves onto their faces, completing the disguise. This setup is to hide them from both prey and predators, keeping perfectly still for days on end. When a threat walks by, they just keep calm and still. It is when potential prey strolls over their face that they spring into action. The four stalks of "bamboo" suddenly fold in on themselves and pin you between them. The claws reach down and hook you, while the ground beneath your feet shifts. From the soil will lunge a mean pair of fangs, which will inject struggling prey with a paralytic venom. Once immobilized, the victim is pulled down into the earth, as the Arucdin's back legs dig themselves downward. The prey will be buried alive, but not for long, as the venom also breaks down their insides. Arucdin's keep with the same feeding plan of most spiders, liquefying the insides of their prey and then drinking it up with a pumping mouth. By pulling prey down below, they can eat at their leisure without worrying about scavengers stealing their meal or predators looking to score a two-for-one. This hunting method is what makes these forests seem more haunted, and also is what made this species hard to identify. People would seemingly vanish without a trace, swallowed up by the earth. Those who did escape would talk about the bamboo coming to life, which would then be blamed on the more well known Shrimp Stalks.

Since they keep themselves buried to hunt and to stay safe, Arucdins are almost never seen on the surface. They don't even need to leave for a drink, as they pull moisture from the soil around them and drink whatever falls from the sky. The only real time they emerge is during breeding season, and only the males come out. The male Arucdins are smaller than the females, so they are less likely to be noticed by predators. That doesn't really matter though, as they tend to abandon caution during this season, as the mission is much more important. They must locate a buried female and court her, all while avoiding predators and avoiding her as well. Get too close without permission, and the female may view them as food and strike. To keep themselves off the menu, males will drum the ground with their limbs, sending out some kind of message or signal to the hiding female. If she is open to these advances, she may use her own buried limbs to communicate back. If all goes well, she will allow the male to burrow next to her to finish the courtship. When all is said and done, the male returns to the surface and skitters off to another hiding spot. The eggs will be laid underground, and the young will climb up their mother's body to reach the surface. Once emerged, their survival is up to them, as the parents leave them to fend for themselves. This whole time, the female will barely move. Pretty much once she has buried herself in the perfect spot, she will remain there for the rest of her life. It is no wonder that people of these regions tend to compare me to one of these creatures when I am studying! Observation requires camouflage, patience and the willingness to sit still for hours, and I am dedicated to my work! It may not be the most exciting thing to outsiders, but I think the Arucdins would agree that it works quite well!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

---------------------------------------------------------------

Pretty straightforward here! Nothing too crazy, but simplicity can work sometimes!

Description

It is funny that the image of a haunted forest tends to always be a deciduous one set in a temperate climate. Just a plain ol' forest, but spooky and at night! Normally I would make fun of such a thing but, honestly, after bunch of trips I think they have just set their stories and myths in the wrong forest. Yes, there are plenty of scary things to run into when walking a dark deciduous forest, but those who want a real scare should visit a bamboo forest. These places and deep thickets feel like the true embodiment of a haunted ecosystem, and it doesn't even have to be nighttime! The towering uniform stalks of the bamboo makes these places feel open and claustrophobic at the same time, and deep thickets tend to keep out most light even on a bright sunny day! With enough thick growths, the ground floor of these forests are bare, save for the occasional desperate plant and a layer of decaying leaves. The endless bamboo turns this place into a disorienting maze, and you struggle to figure out where to go or where you came from. With all this setup, it becomes a nightmare when suddenly the empty forest attacks you. You would have sworn you were alone a second ago, but then claws and darts lash out from nowhere. Locals who live near these deep thickets always have stories of ghosts and unseen assailants, where many victims seemingly vanish. Many of these terrified tales turn out to be true, though a phantom is rarely the culprit. It turns out that the many creatures that live in these forests are really good at hiding, and very good at catching one unaware. Bamboo Snipes alone make every visit to these locations a nightmare, as a single dart from the canopy can drop you before you even realize you are being hunted. Then add in creatures like the Shrimp Stalk, and you got a forest that can come to life at any moment. The plant you lean against or walk past can suddenly spring to life and snare you in its claws. And it isn't just that shrimp that does it! If you are talking about haunted forests from all your books and stories, then you need some spiders to really creep it up!

The existence of the Arucdin took some time for the community to acknowledge, as their lifestyle and the superstition surrounding their homes made it difficult to identify them. First, you had to get people to actually dive into these deep thickets to find them, which many folk weren't too fond of. Then you had to survive long enough to reach them, as the Bamboo Snipes tend to notice large groups moving through their territory. Finally, once you get near one, you actually have to spot them, because they don't hang out in the open. Arucdin are burrowers, so they spend most of their lives buried in the soil. All that you usually see of them is four of their arms but, even then, they aren't easy to identify. These arms are long and thin, and mimic the stalks of the bamboo around them. Just like the Shrimp Stalk, they hide in plain sight, holding themselves straight up as the true body lays buried below. You need a good eye to pick them out from the surrounding vegetation, before you step between them. It doesn't really help with research when you locate the animal only after it sinks its fangs into your legs.

For those who don't know, the Arucdin are spiders who use mimicry to ambush their prey. Like I said, four of their limbs are dedicated to acting like bamboo, waiting for prey to get close. The other four are much stockier and stronger. These are used for burrowing and anchoring, digging out a hole for them to backup into and then keeping them rooted into place. Spiny pedipalps then help scoop dirt and leaves onto their faces, completing the disguise. This setup is to hide them from both prey and predators, keeping perfectly still for days on end. When a threat walks by, they just keep calm and still. It is when potential prey strolls over their face that they spring into action. The four stalks of "bamboo" suddenly fold in on themselves and pin you between them. The claws reach down and hook you, while the ground beneath your feet shifts. From the soil will lunge a mean pair of fangs, which will inject struggling prey with a paralytic venom. Once immobilized, the victim is pulled down into the earth, as the Arucdin's back legs dig themselves downward. The prey will be buried alive, but not for long, as the venom also breaks down their insides. Arucdin's keep with the same feeding plan of most spiders, liquefying the insides of their prey and then drinking it up with a pumping mouth. By pulling prey down below, they can eat at their leisure without worrying about scavengers stealing their meal or predators looking to score a two-for-one. This hunting method is what makes these forests seem more haunted, and also is what made this species hard to identify. People would seemingly vanish without a trace, swallowed up by the earth. Those who did escape would talk about the bamboo coming to life, which would then be blamed on the more well known Shrimp Stalks.

Since they keep themselves buried to hunt and to stay safe, Arucdins are almost never seen on the surface. They don't even need to leave for a drink, as they pull moisture from the soil around them and drink whatever falls from the sky. The only real time they emerge is during breeding season, and only the males come out. The male Arucdins are smaller than the females, so they are less likely to be noticed by predators. That doesn't really matter though, as they tend to abandon caution during this season, as the mission is much more important. They must locate a buried female and court her, all while avoiding predators and avoiding her as well. Get too close without permission, and the female may view them as food and strike. To keep themselves off the menu, males will drum the ground with their limbs, sending out some kind of message or signal to the hiding female. If she is open to these advances, she may use her own buried limbs to communicate back. If all goes well, she will allow the male to burrow next to her to finish the courtship. When all is said and done, the male returns to the surface and skitters off to another hiding spot. The eggs will be laid underground, and the young will climb up their mother's body to reach the surface. Once emerged, their survival is up to them, as the parents leave them to fend for themselves. This whole time, the female will barely move. Pretty much once she has buried herself in the perfect spot, she will remain there for the rest of her life. It is no wonder that people of these regions tend to compare me to one of these creatures when I am studying! Observation requires camouflage, patience and the willingness to sit still for hours, and I am dedicated to my work! It may not be the most exciting thing to outsiders, but I think the Arucdins would agree that it works quite well!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

---------------------------------------------------------------

Pretty straightforward here! Nothing too crazy, but simplicity can work sometimes!