//------------------------------//
// Arachnoplith 
// Story: Beasts and Beings - Stories of Equestria's Inhabitants 
// by Strongbolt Stonewing 
//------------------------------//

	Warning: if you're standing face to face with an Arachnoplith then drop this book and run. Now.

Arachnopliths never hunt alone, and they're always on the hunt for any piece of pony flesh they can sink their putrid fangs into.


Wow, how pleasant. Anyhow, if you happen to see a gigantic purple spider with yellow or green speckles on its back, then you should get moving.


And if you see one with blue speckles, then you better pray you sprout an extra set of legs because those are the really fast ones.


Here's an example of Arachnoplith behaviour: one late summer night, myself and Shiera were walking to our hotel in Fillydelphia. Little did we know that we were being watched by a set of eight eyes.

As we passed a nearby cave, I thought I heard a faint scuttling coming from within. Moments later, a humungous eight-legged creature emerged, baring its razor-like teeth.

Quick note: one distinguishing feature of an Arachnoplith is that it does in fact have no head, instead, it's face is built into its bulb-shaped body.

Yes, thank you, Strongbolt. As I was saying, the beast emerged from the shadows, its eight misty eyes staring into my very soul.

Arachnopliths always examine their victims before striking, an odd trait, but incredibly useful to anypony within its presence. It is advised that whilst the Arachnoplith studies you, you should either run (preferably fly) as far away as you can or attempt to confuse the beast by not allowing it the ability to keep all eight of its eyes focused on you at one particular time.

Unfortunately, neither myself or Strongbolt knew this at the time, so as you can probably guess, we were in a heap of trouble.

Luckily, using my ex-royal guard training and perfect physique...

...oh brother...

Let me finish! Using my ex-royal guard training and perfect physique, I was able to distract the creature for long enough by flying around its face, thus, allowing  Shiera to make her escape. I later flew away, avoiding the monster's grasp.


Yes, thank you, Strongbolt, but I think our readers will want to know what to do if they don't have royal guard training, or wings for that matter.

...or a perfect physique.

Would you stop with the 'perfect physique'? Anyway, it is vital that if you find an Arachnoplith, you follow these instructions exactly: Step One, move, it doesn't matter where, just move, and quickly.

Step Two, do not stop moving, speed is your friend.


Step Three, hide, when you have ran far enough away to be out of the Arachnoplith's gaze, you must not get back in it.

Agreed, that would just infuriate it even more. On the subject of rage, here's a fun fact: the speckles on an Arachnoplith's back represent how angry it feels, just keep in mind that Arachnopliths are always angry.

Supposedly, the order of colour goes from Yellow (slightly angry) to Green (slightly angrier) to Blue (angry enough to rip you apart) and rumour has it that Red Arachnopliths have been spotted, yet nobody has ever provided a detailed account. Although, I believe a journal was found beside a pile of bones with the words "Red Arachn-" written in big writing.


If you would like to experience an Arachnoplith in real life, I suggest you close this book and take a long, hard look at your life. Now think to yourself: "Do I really want to lose it?"