Arachne

Also known colloquially in some areas of Geargadas as "dryders", Arachne are half-human, half-spider creatures. These Monsters delight in tricking unsuspecting people and, in many cases, trapping them in their webs; for this reason, they usually prefer large, darker places they're able to hide in. A place like Aefenglom is full of these opportunities - best to watch your back in dark alleys, should you be traveling the city at night. However, flattery of their hard work could very well result in a collection of woven works, as opposed to finding yourself becoming a meal to a prideful Arachne.

**An Arachne can be any extant spider or arachnid, regardless of its habitat or habits.** This includes scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and solifugae. Must be based on extant arachnids, but colors and patterns may be mixed or exaggerated. Strictly cosmetic changes fitting the Monster type are generally fine.

### Mandatory Changes

#### Physical

* Extra limbs. Arachne will find that they have additional arms and/or legs to equal eight new limbs, along with a spinneret to allow for their weaving ability. Legs develop flat "paws" and small, hook-like tufts both made of hair that help them to scale flat surfaces and climb around on webs and silk threads. They will also have one or the other: a 'taur configuration with their lower body replaced by an additional abdomen, or an abdomen that grows from their lower back and extends behind their legs.
	+ In the 'taur configuration, Arachne are human generally from the waist up (with some extra features), and spider from the waist down. They may also have pedipalps in order to grip prey.
	+ In the other configuration, an arachnid abdomen juts from usually the lower back, and they have generally four but up to eight long arachnid legs arranged on the back or sides.
* Exoskeleton. A hard, chitinous shell covers an Arachne's hands and wrist, and with it there are numerous thin hairs that help with sensing changes in the environment. The same kind of hairs can be found on the rest of the spider-half of their body. Despite their size and appearance, Arachne and their exoskeleton are both surprisingly light - at least lighter than they'd seem to be.

* Enlarged fangs. Arachne have canines that jut down from their top lip and curl slightly; most stop just short of their chin, but this varies between Monsters. These fangs are hollow and are used to inject venom at the Arachne's discretion - it's perfectly legitimate to deliver "dry" bites (ones without venom) instead.
* The ability to spin silk. An Arachne's silk thread is five times stronger than the same width of steel, finer than a piece of human hair, almost tougher than anything made by human hands, and is elastic enough that it can be stretched up to four times its length before it breaks; it's also waterproof.
* A more monstrous form on full moons, with an increase in size for both sexes as well as larger fangs, longer limbs, and a greater spread of their exoskeleton. A more feral mindset will fall upon them if they fight these changes or have a harder time controlling their instincts, which may increase the need to feed, and may result in outright aggression if particularly provoked. This is harder for Arachne to trigger in emotional states, as they are known for biding their time due to their nature, but it isn't impossible.

#### Mental

* An instinct to either spin a web or make a burrow. While not all Arachne use their silk threads for hunting, they automatically feel better when in contact with their own spider silk, and have a more peaceful rest as a result.

### Optional Changes

* More eyes. Arachne on average have six to eight non-compound eyes that work together seamlessly: two large principal ones that sit on their face as a normal human does, with the rest in some other configuration where they're evenly spaced apart.
* More limbs. An Arachne can have a second pair of arms on their lower torso, at the loss of their pedipalps.
* Further exoskeleton coverage, reaching up to elbows or mid-bicep. It can crawl up their abdomen, back, and chest as well, at player discretion.
* A more spider-like appearance, with thinner fingers, a longer face, and proper mandibles that open sideways.
* Dietary changes, preferring to consume larger bugs or smaller animals, such as vermin, cats, lizards, and raw fish.
* Desire to wrap things they own in swathing silk, or people they'd considered "theirs" in some way - friend, lover, family, etc.
* Possible psychological changes that come with their respective arachnid or Arachne lore. Behavioral changes are generally unique to each spider, but Arachne historically have a fondness for sadism and bondage. They enjoy paralyzing their prey and tying them up, scarcely giving them a moment of true rest. Note that extra abilities based on general lore must be run by the mods first.

### Strengths

* **Lowlight vision**; as long as there's some level of light, be it from a candle, a dim bulb, the moon, or glowing mushrooms, Arachne are able to see with clear visibility - though they see in black and white.
* **Increased speed and jumping ability**, thanks to their multiple limbs. They also tend to be stronger than the average human - not at Turnskin level, but stronger, especially female Arachne.
* **Impervious to entrapment**; spiders can't get caught in their own web or in others, and this carries over to Arachne as well. Arachne are also skilled in dealing with ropes and other entanglements due to their web-spinning.
* **Ability to inject others with a poisonous venom**; the level of toxicity and side-effect varies by Arachne, but they're all incredibly painful bites regardless.

### Weaknesses

* Arachne have **terrible vision in full light**; while it doesn't render them sick and useless the way it does Vampires, they're more reliant on the subtle changes in the environment without their sight.
* **Fire burns their otherwise incredibly strong webs easily**, and Arachne try not to get too close to torches, bonfires, or rooms with too many candles on instinct.
* **An Arachne's backside - their spinneret - is incredibly sensitive**. If hurt too much, the Arachne will lose their ability to spin thread.