Paradox Spinners

The arachnitha all have a certain alien quality to them, but none are so utterly bizarre as the Paradox Spinners. These arachnitha inhabit the Tapestrum Arcanum, being the only creatures to do so as of current knowledge.

History

Not much is known about the origins of the Paradox Spinners, other than that they apparently chose to exile themselves from the larger Arachnithan collective. The story goes that, after the Godfall, certain species of Arachnitha felt as if too much was placed on the shoulders of one species when the Progenitor bestowed the Eternal Hymn upon humanity and bid them to never allow it to cease, lest the Adversary be freed.

These exiles roamed the lands, looking for ways to make themselves useful and perhaps lessen the burden of man somewhat through their own actions. They offered their services to the scholars of Pluthem, who introduced them to the Tapestrum and even taught a few to project, allowing the first arachnitha to glimpse at that impossible parallel dimension.

Over time, these individuals honed their magecraft to such a degree that they managed to render null the difference between their physical and metaphysical forms, effectively traveling into the Tapestrum wholesale, a feat that human mages have yet to replicate, despite having researched and explored the dimension much more extensively. These arachnitha became known as the Paradox Spinners and chose to live their lives within the magical realm, feeding on the essence of it.

Physique

Paradox Spinners resemble orb weaver spiders, with the exception that they have ten legs like all other arachnitha and that their abdomen is a crystalline casing of swirling magical energy rather than flesh, a peculiarity that even the spinners themselves cannot fully explain and chalk it up to extended stay within the tapestry. These arachnitha are incredibly graceful, their movements almost ethereal in nature and captivating to witness due to there being a slight after-image that lags behind them.

Fi'zwa

Over time, the Paradox Spinners established themselves a home within the Tapestrum which they named Fi'zwa, an arachnithan term that roughly translates to "Insight". This collection of nests, spun from the raw stuff of the tapestry itself, orbits the Font of Magic like a celestial body would another.

Within Fi'zwa, projections seem to be safe from the intermittent pulses of the Font meant to expel excess minds from the tapestry, suggesting the Paradox Spinners have found a way to protect their nesting space from outside influence, which is of great interest to the Enlightened Few who are looking for ways to approach the anomalous font.

Time also flows differently within Fi'zwa as it does in the rest of the tapestrty. Visitors can spend weeks within the webbed walls of of the abode and nary a minute will have passed in the real Nascindor. The implications of such bending of time and the opportunities for learning it presents have researchers from all over Nascindor scrambling to project and visit Fi'zwa. However, entry into the floating orb-like structure is not so easily gained, as visitors must be invited to even find the webbed city.

Weave

As previously established, the Paradox Spinners feed on the very essence of the Tapestrum, meaning that they quite literally eat the raw magic that makes up the bizarre realm. Due to this diet, their webbing is imbued with an unparalleled enchantment, possessing properties far beyond the ordinary silk of their mundane brethren. These strands, woven meticulously by the skilled spinnerets of these otherworldly arachnitha, possess an ethereal luminescence, shimmering with hues that mirror the shifting energies of the Tapestrum itself.

When spun, the resulting material is referred to as Weave. This mystical cloth can be imbued with concepts and takes on the properties of those concepts. For example, when imbued with the concept of resilience, a length of Weave becomes nigh indestructible, unable to be torn, pierced or even burned. Naturally, the versatility of Weave has made it a highly sought after material, legitimate businessmen and crooks alike coveting its transformative potential.

The process of infusing concepts into Weave requires not just a deep understanding of the desired attribute but also a connection to the fundamental energies of the Tapestrum. As such, only the Paradox Spinners and scant few others born with an innate sensitivity to magic, can successfully imbue Weave with the essence of concepts. Through intricate rituals and focused intent, they weave these abstract notions into tangible reality, turning threads of raw magic into manifestations of strength, resilience, agility, or even more ephemeral qualities like empathy, courage, or adaptability.

However, the creation of concept-infused Weave is not without its risks. Mishandling the process can lead to unintended consequences, warping the very nature of the concept being woven into the fabric. An attempt to infuse Weave with the concept of agility, for example, might go awry and the resulting garment of Weave would make its wearer more limber via the forceful dislocation of all of their joints as the limited range of motion that physiology imposes could be considered a lack of agility.

Recent developments

The Paradox Spinners are aware of the increased activity within the Black Forest and have pledged any aid they can provide to the Seeker fellowships and humanity at large, still adhering to the mission their ancestors undertook all those years ago.

Welcome, wayfarers. Be at peace, for Fi'zwa is as much your home as it is ours.

–A Paradox Spinner welcoming visitors to Fi'zwa

by Midjourney

_{A painting of Fi'zwa, the home of the Paradox Spinners within the Tapestrum Arcanum}

by Midjourney

_{A length of Weave, infused with the concept of inspiration as evidenced by its iridescence}