Araig
What is our culture, dear sister? Are we man, or are we araig? The echoes of the Defiant Ones have given us the art of magic and the cities we live in today. But what of our own stories? I no longer hear the tales of Arachn and how she spun up our forms, nor of Thein and their creation of the web of tunnels we wander. I only hear of the glories of the Defiant Ones in their trials to retake the surface, and how our children weave their bodies to appear more and more like them. How much longer can we admire fire in wonder before it blinds us of our past? - Renaue, Araig sage
Dwelling in cavernous depths, the araig are centaurian spiderfolks with a deep fascination towards those who wander the surface. Once just massive spiders, these four-legged people weaved their cultures through the remnants of underground cities abandoned eons ago. With most surface-dwellers terrified of spiders and the depths below the earth, the araig are at an impasse; shall they continue their transformations until they are no longer feared, or shall they hold onto their silken heritage?
Ancient Arachnids
With a humanoid upper half and the lower-half of a spider, araig are at times referred to “cavern centaurs”. with four segmented legs around their arachnoid abdomen, adventurers may never know if they will encounter such people on the floor, walls, or ceilings! These appendages complement their four arms, with two primary arms appearing nearly human while the two smaller arms hide below or rest alongside their torso. Regardless the size, the araig are experts in using all four to weave their silk, magic runes, or wield their various weapons.
Art by Karmacores!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so perhaps the araig see us as such wonderful folks thanks to their eight eyes! While some may have them all identical in size, others are adorned with two enlarged eyes as the other six appear akin to eyebrows. Such wonderful eyes are complemented by their snow-white hair, seemingly identical in material as the webbed-silk they produce.
An aethus connection to magic is both a blessing and a curse; while they gain an innate connection to the magic that created them, forms of antimagic and magic dispersal is unbearable to them, compared to having your body being torn apart from the inside. Their magic touch also attracts the attention of other spellcasting individuals, some of which see them no more than magical wells of expendable power.
Caught in the Past
Little is known of the first civilizations built below eons ago, and even less is for sure as to when the araig first occupied their cavernous cities. Sparse relations with the spider-folk have detailed their infatuation for this ancient race, adopting their dead customs and arts from abandoned craftsmanship and wonders. Lost practices of clothing were adopted and adapted, with extinct supplies supplemented with araig silk. As they acquired arcane talents, one generation of araig saw fit to weave their own flesh into one more akin to their adored, giving their descendants the forms we see them in today.
While their infatuation for our “ancestors” has led many to be incredibly kind and welcoming to adventurers wandering into their depths, the same kindness has sadly not often been reciprocated. Records from travelers who have wandered their kingdoms have brought forth news of a new divide in araig perspective towards surface-dwellers. New generations have begun to further magically weave their forms, with some appearing nearly entirely human, their spider-like traits nearly all but abandoned. Opposite to them stands those who seek to reclaim a stronger tie to their ancient ways, regaining a much more arachnid appearance with their human-traits now much more monstrous than before. Conflict has yet to arise from these new perspectives, but only time will tell if we do not find a way to reciprocate kindness to a society surface-folk still yet barely understand.
Witness the World Above
Araig are known to adventure the many cavernous branches around their homes, with their own system of adventuring guilds scribing down paths of wealth and new ancient cities. Records of araig that have ventured to the surface are however much more sparse, often mistaken for monsters when alone. Such araig often adorn themselves in large robes to cover their lower-half, or use illusory magic to hide it. Those fortunate to be accepted into adventuring parties are met with much less feared gaze, for most common folk have begun to simply accept the absurdity of appearances that magical mercenaries may appear in.
Araig Traits
- Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
- Age. Araig live to around 70 years.
- Creature Type. You are Humanoid.
- Rarity. Rare. While densely populated in ancient cities deep below, it is quite rare to witness an araig on the surface, especially one living in surface communities.
- Size. While female Araig tend to be on the taller side to their male counterparts, most araig vary between 4 to 8 feet tall. You are Medium or Small (your choice when selecting this race).
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness as shades of red.
- Spider Climb. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.
- Silk Shot. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a burst of webbing towards a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see and that is your size or smaller. That creature must succeed a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be Restrained until the end of your next turn. Any creature can free the target by spending an action removing the webbing.
- At 3rd level, while you have a creature restrained in this way, you can spend a bonus action to move the target 15 towards you, or move yourself 15 feet towards them.
- Once you have successfully used this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Tetra-Armed. You have two slightly additional arms below your primary pair of arms. These secondary arms can manipulate an object, open or close a door or container, pick up or set down a Tiny object, or wield a weapon that has the light property.
Art by kinseviing!
| d6 | Araig Characteristics |
|---|---|
| 1 | I spin myself a hammock to fall asleep in, regardless of where I take shelter for sleep. |
| 2 | A group of surface dwellers burned my home to cinders. I saw no remorse in their eyes, and I hope that when I find them, they will see the same in mine. |
| 3 | My tome of spells is written in physical waves, indecipherable to those who know little of the music in strings. |
| 4 | I am in adoration of this surface-dwelling artisan. Many of my baubles are crafts they have left behind. I hope to admit my awe of their work to them someday. |
| 5 | I am incredibly proud of my weaving. The clergy cautions me of such boastfulness, but that is simply because they lack my skill! |
| 6 | My kin argue between the surface and our homes, but the deep calls for me. Something primal beckons my name out there, and I must answer its call. |
