Historia et Historiarum: Araknes

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*Suggested to be read with own discretion (no spoilers but maybe more fun to read them in the actual novel)

*The plan is to create more of these kinds of info texts

*This will be updated in a non-timely manner

*Maps and concept art can be found on my Instagram @AlexanderCa0

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The araknes are a foul race of beings. They sail the universe for plunder and riches, as being anything else would be considered a waste, according to their god, Strifa, the one who reaves and kills.

They collect slaves to keep their infrastructure and farms running, while the araknes themselves, including women, fly in the universe on iron ships specifically designed for raiding unsuspecting gravity ships.

The araknes have four eyes and are similar in appearance to insects. They have sharp teeth that can cut through even the thickest of leather. They either live long lives, almost reaching a hundred years, or they die within their first ten years.

For as long as they can remember, the araknes have always desired strong children. One family might easily have ten children during their lifetime, but only about a quarter of them are considered acceptable. The other children are shunned and forced out of their houses. They might survive for a few years by working together and worshipping their strange god, but their chances of long-term survival are small. They often turn to almost beast-like monsters as they band together to form packs of outcasts. They may together take down a full-grown araknes, but their talents are as valued as humans value dogs.

The araknes have no kings or emperors, but they have ship captains and cell leaders. A ship captain owns their village, town, or even city, and these possessions are passed down to the next generation. However, this heritage is often challenged and the new captain must fight many of their father's or mother's old crewmen until they have proven themselves as worthy captain. If the new captain loses, anarchy takes hold. The Araknes kill each other until one of the combatants stands on top of them all.

The ships the arakne use are known as iron widows. They are completely sealed, with sails on the sides like bird's wings. The most prized ships are known as "exalted iron widows." These are ships where an arakne's soul has been bound to it, making the ship a living being. Its ability to fly in the air is unmatched and it is usually the fleet captain's flagship. Sometimes a soul is bound to an entire flying fortress, making it a terrifying sight in the ever-expanding universe.

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Strifa, the one who reaves and kills:

They worship four gods. The first is Strifa, the god of ships and raiding. She is the youngest but by far the most popular, as she often joins raiding missions if one of her subjects prays for her well enough. If the booty and bloodshed promise to be bountiful, she will join, followed by thousands of iron widows and captains. If the raid is not as fruitful as her subject promised, she will tie her worshipper to her flying fortress, the stealer of blood, and ram it into the captain's ship while the crew is still on board.

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Emal, the god of bloodlines

The second most revered deity in the pantheon is Emal, the god of bloodlines. He unveiled to the araknes the macabre and twisted paths to acquiring power. Born from a union steeped in abhorrence, as his mother consorted with both her brother and father, Emal entered the world with three heads, a grotesque anomaly that nearly cost him his life at birth. However, his extraordinary intellect allowed him to elude his family's clutches, and within a mere year, he had matured into a fully-fledged adult araknes, extinguishing the very kin who had sought to conceal his existence.

Rather than perceiving his physical form as repugnant, Emal saw it as a source of power and embarked on a mission to impart his knowledge to others. He began preaching the ways of transformation, inspiring fellow araknes to follow his lead. With the assistance of Dokkaebi scholars, Emal further enhanced his body, infusing it with fragments of the Leviathan. Under his tutelage, the practice of incest burgeoned and became an accepted norm within arcane society, as it held the promise of progeny with the same unparalleled strength as Emal himself.

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Faustus, the god of cells

The third is Faustus, the god of the cells. Before the Araknes became known as corsairs and pirates, they organized into groups called cells. Cells were as powerful as a nation and lived as nomadic warriors. These cells fought against each other and the warriors of a cell were known for their brutality across the universe. When Strifa plundered the pilgrimage of gold, many left the cells in pursuit of wealth. To this day, Faustus has held a grudge toward Strifa and the cells are no more than a small part of the Araknes society. The ship captains still buy the services of cell warriors as they are more disciplined than your average pirate crewman.

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The Lost One.

The last god is known only as the Lost One. No one knows his name, but everyone knows he is the oldest of the four. His worshippers are mainly the weak araknes who are shunned by their kin. Sometimes the Lost One blesses one of the shunned and discarded Araknes so he may become a leader. These kinds of Araknes are often hunted by the more evolved of their kind as they fear their possible power.