Munus

Titles
World Weaver

Governs
Artifice, Law, Rune

Worshippers
Craftsmen, tailors, witches

Weapon
None

Animal
Spiders, Silkworms

Description
Munus is the weaver of fate, and is considered one of the deities. In her hands, it is believed, lies the future of the universe - determined by her careful, expertely woven stitches on the Tapestries of Eternity.

Munus in the Divine Record
The Divine Record refers frequently to Munus, though the symbolism and imagery varies. The most common references describe a great spider, weaving a cosmic web made of twinkling starlight, in which each person's soul is bound and coccooned, unable to escape from the World Weaver's machinations. The second most common, however, is the one which most devout enshrine and pray to; a kindly old woman, sitting and spinning a loom of infinite colors, on which each thread is the life of a single mortal.

Church
Temples dedicated to Munus are universally decorated with finely tailored goods. Embroidered seats, lengthy tapestries, and prayer-shawls are common, and many faithful devote themselves to sewing as both a vocation and a form of worship. Adherents believe that by praying over threads, then sewing them into images or patterns which represent their desires, they may influence the deity's favor, and be rewarded for their artistic offering by having it replace their current threads in the Tapestries of Eternity.

While any form of sewing or tailoring is considered a proper and worshipful exercise, most priests at temples of any size will adorn themselves only in silk, believing it to be a holy material. To facilitate, these same temples will often maintain silkworm colonies, or nests of spiders who they harvest the material from regularly. Taking care of these animals is also considered sacred, and it is often a duty which is performed by the lower-ranking members of the church as part of their early training.

Important Rituals
Followers of Munus hold spiders of all kinds sacred, seeing their presence as evidence of the deity's favor. To be bitten by a spider is considered an omen of ill fortune, while feeding or otherwise tending to one is believed to bring good luck.

In some cultures, a common practice during times of ill fortune is to pray while gently disturbing the web of an arachnid. During such an act, should the spider strike out, the supplicant allows themselves to be bitten - potentially repeatedly. By offering this ritual sacrifice, the devout believe that Munus may be convinced to re-weave their own fate, just as the spider must re-weave its web