Turning of Skins

As the Arachnitha are arachnids, they will outgrow their exoskeletons several times during the arcs of their lives. Thus, they must molt every few decades or so and this is always a ritualistic endeavor steeped in tradition, no matter the stage of life an Arachnithan individual finds themselves in.

History

Long ago, when the Arachnitha still lived as solitary tunnel-hunters, molting was their most vulnerable state. During this time, they were soft-bodied, sight-blurred, and nearly defenseless. Many died to predators, rival kin, or cave collapses. It was only when the Nexus, the colossal cave that now acts as the central point of the Gossamer Dispatch was discovered that the first true alliances between Arachnitha were formed. Out of these alliances grew clans which, in the wake of centuries, became the different ethnicities of Arachnitha that exist today.

It was these clans that made it possible for the Arachnitha to molt in a safe environment, and it did not take long for the act to start taking on ritualistic aspects. At first, molting was seen as a weakness that was to be purged, but as the spiritual awakening of the Arachnitha progressed, they came to view the act as one of transformation, of growing towards a better ideal of what an Arachnitha is supposed to be.

This reverence for the process still exists today and is more relevant than ever.

Molts

First Molt — The Awakening

The first time an Arachnitha molts, it usually happens at the cusp of adolescence. Therefore, this first molt is referred to as the Awakening, as the child is considered to awaken to their purpose in life.

The Awakening is very much a coming-of-age ritual, though only the first one an Arachnitha will go through during their life. Family and community usually attend these first molts, so as to encourage the young Arachnitha on the path of their life.

After the molt is over, the resulting husk is crushed into a powder and a personal keepsake is made from a resin formed from this powder and saliva that is gifted to the young Arachnitha, along with their first Masquerade.

Second Molt — Weaving of the Path

When an Arachnithan individual reaches adulthood, they undergo their second molt, colloquially known as the Weaving of the Path. It is thus named because the individual solidifies the path they chose after this molt, taking up the mantle of whatever role in society they've chosen for themselves. In other words, the second molt marks the transition into a profession, calling, or social role.

Often the Weaving of the Path involves the individual performing a feat or act of service relating to their chosen path after molting to demonstrate their readiness. This could be the weaving of a Masquerade of a certain quality or the besting of one of the many subterranean beasts that roam the tunnels between the Burrow-Homes.

The shed exoskeleton is fashioned into a symbol of their chosen path—a sash for a diplomat, a fang-ring for a Clutchguard, etc.

Third Molt — Reflection

The third molt the Arachnitha commit to is deeply personal, and is often done in solitude or with one’s closest kin. When emerging from their exoskeleton, the Arachnithan individual spends the day with it in their nest, so as to reflect upon the life and the person they have been thus far.

The cast-off shell is often ritually consumed at the end of this day, symbolizing a very literal subsummation of the past by the present and the future.

Final Molt — Unraveling

As the end of life approaches for an Arachnitha, they begin preparations for one last molt that they will perform in the company of their kin and friends.

It is almost like a funeral before death and often the individual performing the molt actually does die in the midst of the act. Such a death is considered almost poetic in its poignant demonstration of a literal transition from life to whatever awaits beyond that blackest veil.

The final husk and corpse is typically consumed by those present, prioritizing the youngest members of the audience. This is believed to impart some of the wisdom and strength of character of the deceased to the next generation.

Humans keep same skin all life?!

– A Dunecrawler child when informed by her playdate that humans do not molt

Related Ethnicities

• Dunecrawlers
• Duskwidows
• Harvest Weavers
• Paradox Spinners
• Wandering Huntsmen

by Midjourney

_{A Harvest Weaver matriarch preparing her children for her final molt.}

by DALL-E 3

_{A sketch of an Arachnitha molting by an anonymous Telothian artist.}