The Araquia were sentient arachnids that originated on Kirtania.
These large, six-legged arachnids hailed from the planet of Kirtania, and displayed sentience. The Araquia's coloration was typically greenish-black, and their faces were marked by six small, black eyes and a set of mandibles. Being omnivorous, their primary sustenance came from rodents, insects, and birds.
As an arachnid species, the Araquia possessed the innate ability to produce sticky webs from their own bodies. These webs served numerous functions. They could utilize the anchor strands to descend from heights, or construct elaborately woven platforms. These platforms could be detached by the Araquia and used for gliding on the wind currents. The Araquia had limited control during these glides, relying on updrafts and prevailing wind conditions to gain altitude, though they could inflate their bodies to reduce their weight during flight. Additionally, the webs were used to capture prey, either by launching them at a target to ensnare it, or by dropping a detached web platform onto unsuspecting prey from above. The adhesive nature of the web proved problematic for those caught within it, but did not affect the Araquia themselves. The Araquia also possessed a paralyzing bite, which they used on both prey and opponents once they were restrained. The paralytic agent in the bite did not interfere with the target's autonomous nervous system.
Araquia society was organized into tribes, each led by a council and a witch doctor. Generally, the Araquia were pacifistic, only resorting to killing when necessary for sustenance. They considered preying on other intelligent species to be morally reprehensible and refused to do so.
The Araquia population once numbered in the thousands on their homeworld, Kirtania, until the arrival of Human colonists. Environmental disruption caused by the Humans, combined with misunderstandings between the two species, led to the Araquia being hunted and nearly driven to extinction as they were perceived as a threat during the early stages of colonization. By the time the Galactic Civil War erupted, the Araquia population had dwindled to approximately 1,500 individuals. As self-proclaimed guardians of Kirtania's forests and woodlands, the Araquia tribes established their homes in the lower forest canopies, where their webs served to trap prey.
Their deep connection to the natural world granted the Araquia an extensive knowledge of the planet's plant life. Araquia experts played a vital role in the development of cures for rare diseases throughout the galaxy. They served as guides for those seeking to explore the rainforest, imparting knowledge about the forest's value. Their harvesting of plants, roots, and fungi for medicinal purposes transformed medicine production into one of Kirtania's primary exports.
During the period of the Galactic Civil War, the leaders of Kinkosa extended an invitation to the Galactic Empire to establish a presence on the planet. In exchange for preferential trade agreements compared to other economic entities, the Kinkosans ceded a significant portion of their territory to the Empire for the construction of a supply station. The Imperials initiated a deforestation campaign, prompting Araquian scientist Doctor T'Jaleq Kith'Araquia to attempt to reason with them to halt the destruction. When diplomacy failed, he sought to enact legislation to prevent the Imperial's deforestation efforts. The Empire branded Kith'Araquia as a Rebel sympathizer and prepared to arrest him, but the doctor received a warning. He and his tribe retreated into the rainforest to prepare for a war to protect their ecosystem.
Doctor Kith'Araquia assumed the roles of military strategist and witch doctor for his tribe, spearheading a campaign against the Imperial forces involved in the destruction of the rainforest. Adhering to their pacifistic principles, their attacks were limited to property and equipment, with the aim of making the Imperial operation in the forest too costly to sustain.
The most well-known Araquia was Doctor T'Jaleq Kith'Araquia who, working with the renowned Ho'Din pharmacologist Sirta Kum, discovered the cure for the Direllian Plague.