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Jorogumo as Aranea variants

by Marc Saindon

A bit of an antagonistic faction, the Aranea have split between their wild jungle brethren (Aranea proper) and those (the Jorogumo) who have "adapted" to Yasukan society, or at least assimilated enough culture to infiltrate it. Another faction made a move northward, as the "Anansi" and have tried influencing the Pearl Islands in the same way.

Jorogumo will typically be "magnificient bastards", and like Xanathos have plans within plans and contingencies and backups, and agendas that advance should one scheme fail. They'll work in shadows. A typical agent sets up a "Web of Deception" (a network of fronts, informants, resources and dupes), typically using both criminal elements and more respectable ones to increase their power. Whereas Rakasta Samurai are direct and individual lords will duel to death in single combat to save the collateral damage in their noblesse oblige way, Jorogumo have the opposite, sneaky, philosophy, and will sacrifice a pawn without ever blinking. Their main flaws are maintaining a lasting facade (as building up networks takes time and resource), their lack of cooperation with each other, and people noticing that Phanaton visitors start missing.

Notes:
Jorōgumo

Map


(Image from: https://www.deviantart.com/jeannette11/art/The-Joro-gumo-forest-493310528)