Starwyrm

A starwyrm is an enormous species of serpentine pseudo-reptilians that can grow to tens of thousands in kilometers in length while their heads are the sizes of small planetoids- usually ranging to 3,000 kilometers in size. They can wrap around entire planets with their thick, shell-like scales protect them from heat, although their interactions with high gravity environments are limited due to their enormous mass. As such, starwyrms spend most of their time in asteroid belts or star systems in early formation.

Completely defiant of conventional understanding of natural evolution, they are thought to be a species that was created by the Empire of Arckas. These serpents have inorganic components to them, strange machinery that allows them to utilize wormholes to transport themselves between star systems. In many respects, they are enormous sentient starships.

Sightings

There have been no living starwyrms sighted in recent history and are thought to be extinct in the Crucible Galaxy. The most notable evidence of their existence is the severed head of the starwyrm Frostscyll slain by the god machine Necros. The frozen organic matter found within the creature's skull was considered one of the greatest xenobiological discoveries at the time. While the starwyrm was hypothesized to have existed as an explanation to account for various star systems with planets that had distorted orbits, the theory was often discredited as it was long believed the creature would collapse under its own weight due to the square cube law. The existence of Frostscyll's skull showed that the Empire of Arckas had the mastery to overcome such a limitation. The purpose of creating such a creature remains unknown but given the Empire of Arckas' known inclination to prioritize art over practical use, it is more than likely the starwyrm was created simply for the sake of it.

Influence on Vaikan mythology

It is thought that the deities Krayhan and Morduin could have been starwyrms although there is little evidence of gravitational distortion in the Szon system that would normally have been characteristic of the creatures' presence. Archeologists consider it more likely that these two deities were just how the Vaikan viewed the Yoltox, a reptilian creature native to Ucharpli.

The myth, however, has a potentially much more complex origin. It is confirmed that the Omni Empire encountered at least one living starwyrm in the Ramphas Dwarf Galaxy that went by the name of Jormun. Having made contact 3 million years before the Battle of Domum Regimen, the Omni made an extensive documentation of their encounter. Starwyrms were intelligent creatures, capable of conversation with other species. The Omni used telepathy to communicate with Jormun who provided insight on his experiences. Jormun never had any direct contact with the Empire of Arckas nor with another one of his kind. Jormun was also much smaller than Frostscyll and was likely an infant in comparison.

It is not known what happened to Jormun after the encounter as there has been no further contact with the creature. It is not known how long starwyrms live but finding Jormun again or even his potential remains has proven unfeasible. The remoteness of the galaxy along with the fact that it only has one Stone Ring that connects only to the Greenwater Nebula means that extensive, costly expeditions would have to be mounted to find him.

Nonetheless, given that the Omni actively intervened with the Vaikan's development, this remarkable discovery provides a clear origin to some aspects of Khathic religion such as the serpent god of shadows that went by the same name.