The Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking Spiders (GIFTS) were early results of Vahnatai bioweapon research.
Their lack of malice made them inappropriate as weapons. An attempt to rectify this resulted in the Aranea. The Aranea were evil, yes, but too intelligent and broke away. (The kidnapping of GIFTS in Exile 2 was an attempt to make them into Aranea)- When Rentar-Ihnro resumed the plague research; they made sure to avoid intelligence. And even then, the Giant Friendly Cockroaches still developed.
