Arachsi

White silk is artistically arranged between trees, reflecting sunlight in a beautiful pattern. A variety of docile bugs flit to and fro. As you look up further, you see wooden bridges held up by that same beautiful silk, creating paths between many colorful houses. Arachsi, descended from fey, are deeply attuned to nature, and highly creative in their pursuits, both artistic and practical.

On Eight Legs

The first thing that becomes apparent when viewing an arachsi is that though their upper half appears humanoid, from the waist down they possess the body of a spider. The communal blooming arachsi are small in stature, between 3 and 4 feet, while other arachsi range more typically from 5 to 6 feet. The spider halves of all arachsi tends to be of a length equal to half the arachsi's height. Though their spider halves take up a noticeable amount of weight, arachsi are quite slender, leaving them weighing only 115 to 200 pounds, or 50 to 70 pounds for the blooming arachsi.

The coloration of an arachsi's hair, skin, and spider halves occupy the same range of colors, though that range varies wildly based on the kind of arachsi. An arachsi's hair, skin, and spider half almost always have different colors or hues of the same color. Blooming arachsi have coloration of any color in the rainbow, as well as brown, copper and bronze. Grey arachsi have coloration of black, white, or grey. The fiendish blood arachsi are typically maroon, though they just as often bear coloration from their blooming or grey arachsi ancestry.

The divide in arachsi appearance continues on in their clothing, where blooming arachsi favor bright colors to express themselves, and grey arachsi favor more practical outfits, keeping survival in mind. Blood arachsi, typically lacking a culture of their own, wear whatever is appropriate for the society they live in.

Neighbours, Predators, or Outcasts

The different kinds of arachsi are viewed through many different lenses. The blooming arachsi, who may dwell in forests, swamps, jungles, or any other place you find bugs in plentiful supply, are typically viewed as excellent neighbours. They're a peaceful, friendly people, beloved for their willingness to trade their valuable silk. Blooming arachsi live in close-knit communities, and they are highly welcoming to visiting strangers. However, blooming arachsi who visit the dwellings of other races may not find the same welcome there. Many races are willing to accept them as friends and allies at a distance; but up close, many show discomfort with the arachsi's spiderlike bodies.

Grey arachsi are in some ways the opposite of the blooming arachsi: instead of living in communities, most grey arachsi live in isolation or small packs, hunting animals for survival. This has given the grey arachsi a very pragmatic nature, that may seem almost cold to others. Grey arachsi are far less welcoming of other races than the blooming arachsi, and will often attempt to chase away adventurers from their territory. Some grey arachsi, however, have found their way into civilization, mingling with other races. These arachsi, who are surrounded by much suspicion and fear, often discover that crime is something they are well suited to.

If the grey arachsi are shown fear and distrust, that is nothing compared to what the blood arachsi experience. Blood arachsi are almost never allowed into blooming arachsi settlements, and are not adapted to the wild the same way grey arachsi are, and thus wind up mingling with other races the same way some grey arachsi do. The fear people have of blood arachsi is much amplified as people gaze upon their sharp bristles and even sharper teeth, and those who know of the origins of blood arachsi will often outright despise them. Blood arachsi are attracted to the criminal element like grey arachsi are, though they are commonly attracted to fiendish cults, where their horrific hunger can receive an outlet. Fiend-worshipping cults formed by blood arachsi are commonly called blood cults, and have many disturbing rituals revolving around eating sapient beings.

Weavers of Silk

Each race of arachsi can produce a silk unique to their race, which has pushed each of them in different paths. Blooming arachsi produce a highly durable, non-sticky silk, which is typically used to create ropes and strings. The silk of blooming arachsi is just as manipulable by other races as it is by blooming arachsi, and as such, it has become an immensely useful trading commodity for the blooming arachsi.

Grey arachsi produce a much stickier silk, which they typically convert into nets to capture prey. Usually, a grey arachsi will lie in wait, and then when a creature appears, throw the net onto them: before disabling the prey with their venomous bite. The silk of grey arachsi is nigh-impossible to manipulate without the grey arachsi's unique carapaced fingers, nor is it durable like the blooming arachsi's silk, so it is rarely sold.

Blood arachsi, corrupted by their fiendish transformation, have lost the ability to use their silk to create things, and can instead only harness it through the fiendish magic they are imbued with.

Odd Eating Habits

One of the things that other races may find disturbing about the arachsi is their unusual eating habits. Blooming arachsi primarily eat bugs. Because the blooming arachsi are usually ill-suited for hunting prey, blooming arachsi settlements typically have an area entirely dedicated to breeding large numbers of bugs for consumption, though sometimes these bugs are kept as pets instead.

While other arachsi races have more typical eating habits to their surroundings, one thing is true for most arachsi: they will eat dead sapient creatures, including other arachsi. This does not mean they will necessarily kill to do so, but rather that arachsi consider it a sign of great disrespect to let a creature's body be wasted after death. Within arachsi communities, it is a show of great disdain to refuse to eat someone, as it will be viewed as if you consider them unworthy of helping you even in death.

Arachsi that are close to other races may be more private about their eating habits, as they are aware that they may be treated with fear and alarm. In addition, such arachsi may learn to respect the discomfort of other races, and decide not to eat other races. Even so, many fear arachsi for their eating habits alone.