The Rising Spider

Little is known about the Rising Spider beyond a mention in a pre-release story for Cultist Simulator, where it states that the Rising Spider “wishes dominion” in comparison to the Crowned Growth’s desire to “infect and become”.[1] Their origin as god-from-Nowhere is unconfirmed, but heavily implied by their comparison to the Crowned Growth and their position outside of the normal 24 Hour day. Its numbered position was discovered as a part of the same leak that revealed previously unknown Hours.

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Notes

• The Spider may have Grail as an aspect, due to its potential connection to the Spider’s Door, which is also known as the “Wrong Door” and requires blood sacrifice to be opened and is always thirsting, as well as the Rising Spider’s own ambitions of domination.[2][3]
• It has been postulated that, as the 24th Hour just outside of the standard 24 Hour day (which goes from 0 to 23), the Rising Spider may be the closest of the Gods-from-Nowhere to becoming one of the day-Hours.
• There may also be some symbolism with the Rising Spider being the 24th Hour and the Moth being the 0th, the Moth is the Hour of Midnight which marks the transition from the end of the day to the beginning. Would the Spider then be looking to devour the Moth to earn a place in the hourly cycle of time? VERY speculative.
• There is a small spider-like shape depicted on the icon of The Worms in the World curse. It is notably different from the Spider's Door icon.[4]
• The image on the Rising Spider's WF Catalogue page[5] is a cropped 1868 illustration of Dante's Purgatorio by Gustave Doré depicting the punishment of Arachne.[6]
• In Greek mythology, Arachne was a woman who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest, and after winning was transformed into the first spider as punishment for her hubris. (Again, VERY speculative: perhaps the Rising Spider is an Hour of pride, seeking to prove itself more worthy of dominion than the "proper" Hours?)

In-Game Sources

1. “Around 1890, in the Third History, the Crowned Growth could be perceived through the White Door.” 2. Way: The Spider's Door 3. The Spider's Door, "The THIRST of the Spider's Door is second only to that of the Grail..." 4. The Worms in the World, Way: The Spider's Door 5. risingspider.png 6. Arachne

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