Arachne



Arachne (アラクネ, Arakune), is a recurring demon in the series. She plays a minor role in Shin Megami Tensei, where she is responsible for the damage incurred by the Hero every Full Moon.

Appearances

 * Shin Megami Tensei: Kijo
 * Shin Megami Tensei II: Kijo
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Vermin
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Persona: Femme

History
Arachne was a spinstress who wove beautiful tapestries. They were so beautiful, she claimed that she was better than the goddess Pallas Athena. Angered by this, the goddess of wisdom challenged her to a spinning duel.

In some interpertations of the myth, Arachne defeated Athena. In others, Athena proved the superiority of the gods to man, and Arachne hung herself in distress. Whichever the case, Athena changed the poor girl into a spider so that she may weave for ever, and because of this myth, all members of the spider family are called arachnids.

Shin Megami Tensei
After being teleported from the Makai back to Tokyo, the Hero starts to hear the voices of a girl screaming for help on his mind, what causes him intense pain and inflicts damage on his health every Full Moon. After rescuing the PsycoDiver from Ozawa, he explains that the mind of the girl he hears has been possessed by a demon, and because her spirit is interconnected with his own, he feels what she feels. After discovering that she is the leader of the Messian Church established in Shibuya, he goes to save her and, with the help of the PsychoDiver, project his own spirit into the mind of the girl. There, he finds that Arachne is the demon who is possessing the girl's body, and thus fight her. After Arachne's defeat, the girl reveals herself as the Heroine, and thus leaves the Messian Church to start following the Protagonist wherever he goes for the rest of the game, independent of his allignment.