The Whorl

The United Realms of the whorl is a theocracy ruled by living gods. The sacred beasts are giant creatures with pervasive psychic powers. Through their emanation they bring harmony to the worlds they lair on. The sapients who live among the bests lead simple agrarian lives devoted to art and worship.

The secret power behind the sacred beasts is the whorl microbe. These tiny organisms live symbiotically within the cells of larger beings. Each whorl microbe has a small level of psionic power, and by linking together telepathically, they can create large scale psychic fields. It is the whorl microbe that weaves together the minds and bodies of all who live on a whorler planet. Because the sacred beasts are the largest organisms on whatever planet they are on, they have the most influence over the psionic network of the whorl microbe. Long term exposure to the whorl microbe causes genetic change. Sapients and non sapients alike begin to exhibit a convergent  reptilian morphology as they grow scales and feathers. At high concentration of the microbe,  a communication channel opens. Those effected gain intuitions and instincts that come from the microbe itself. These subconscious dictates form the basis philosophy of the whorl, a complicated belief structure that unites the various whorl planets together.

Part of the philosophy of the whorl is a fascination with space travel. A small part of the planet's economy is turned towards space exploration and a few explorers are chosen every year.  This is part of the whorl's life cycle, how it spreads to new planets. When a whorler is in the void of space, away from the psychic field of their home planet, a curious metamorphosis occurs. The whorl microbes in their body begin to reproduce exponentially, and they use psychic energy to catalyze extreme growth in their host. The resulting creature is a massive being known as a whorl tyrant. Whorl tyrants use their new found psychic powers to fly through space looking for a new planet to rule. They subjugate planets using their size and power, and also through the use of bio-kinesis  to create loyal minions and destructive plagues. These biological weapons have the side effect of spreading the whorl microbe through the planet's biome. After a few decades of rule by the tyrant, the now whorl infused biome gives rise to an alliance of scared beasts, who over throw the tyrant and bring the peace of the whorl.

In the last century, this cycle of expansion has been interrupted the whorl spacer culture. The spacers have developed techniques for surviving in deep space without becoming tyrants. They accomplish this by creating artificial sacred beasts to provide substitute psychic fields, and by using mantras and meditations to control the whorl microbes in their bodies.  By following the commands of whorl philosophy to explore space but resist their tyrannical destiny, they have found a loop hole in the whorl lifecycle. Space culture has connected the various whorl planets into a single unified polity, but there is tension between them and whorl traditionalists. The traditionalists can't help but appreciate the gains the spacers have made, but they feel they are meddling in things beyond their ken. For their part the Spacers resent the traditionalists for their ignorance but they are still tied into the fabric of the whorl.

Planets

LAGO GUPA is the crown jewel of the Spacer culture. This was the first world the spacers settled with their artificial gods, and it has grown into a thriving trade hub. This arid world was mostly barren before the spacers came. Now forests and farmlands are slowly creeping across the deserts. Outside of the woodland capital of Grantiburg the locals are insular and superstitious. Powerful pseudo gods stalk the wastes, mutants empowered by loose strands of whorl prophecy left unfilled by the planet's abnormal birth. The Northern hemisphere is uninhabited, save for a system of bunkers and underground complexes rented out by the spacers to off world scientists looking for privacy.

Travrent is a planet under the rule of the whorl tyrant Hell Wurm Yurrita. Formerly a human colony world, it was conquered by the Hell Wurm a couple of hundred years ago. Since then, technological civilization has collapsed and society has reverted to a feudal structure with the hell worm at the top. Day to day affairs are handled by the eight wardens, hideous mutants the Hell Wurm has empowered to do his bidding. The Hell Wurm spends most of his time in his hell pit, a dank underground complex carved into the ruins of the planet's capital. He collects sinners and criminals and mutates them with his power, twisting their forms into ironic reflections of their crimes. It is said that the original rulers of the planet are still live as slime licking aberrations*.

KOLA TRAN is a bucolic agrarian world like most traditional Whorler planets. It is distinguished by its many gladiatorial arenas, including one built into the shell of the god Kavralea Who Shelters the World.  Ritual combat is common form of worship but it is preeminent on KOLA TRAN. With the advent of space travel KOLA TRAN has become the focal point of the martial traditions of the whorl. Champions from across Whorl space and beyond come to prove themselves in combat. The champion of KOLA TRAN is held to be a semi divine being and given respect and wealth. Outsiders attempting this goal are brutally beaten down if possible. Really formidable outsiders have been the victims of bizarre incidents outside the arena.

Personalities 

Hell Wurm Yurrita(lv 7) is a spined serpent approximately 30 meters in length. He has a red green gradient running down his body, broken up by stark black stripes. He has a wide flared maw and three black dome eyes that shimmer with light when he uses his powers. He is something of a pacifist, preferring to use his bio-kinesis to render his enemies harmless. He is intimately familiar with his hell pit, and will make good use of its many secret passages and hidden traps. He will only leave to recover one of his prized prisoners, which he keeps in the bottom of the pit. He is polite and cordial, but ultimately cold to offworlders. This is his planet, and they have no business here. He wants criminals to add to his collection, and proof that his wardens are conspiring against him.

Granti, Keeper of the Trees(lv 5) is one of eight artificial gods created to regulate the planet LAGO GUPA. It lives in the forest city of Grantiburg. It is a huge caterpillar with elaborate head frills and large color swirled eyes. During the day it can be seen lounging among the tree tops. At night it roams the street, devouring criminals (being eaten by Granti is a sure sign of guilt in the LAGO GUPA justice system.) It has been seen consorting with moth like pseudo gods, staring at them as they dance odd patterns. What this portends no one knows.

Kavlita(lv 6) is the champion of KOLA TRAN. She is large scaled humanoid. She fights in a bulky ceramic suit of armor made to look like a turtle shell. She uses bio kinesis to heal herself mid fight. She prefers battles of attrition where she slowly grinds her opponent down. On a personal level she seems trouble by something. She disappears for long sabbaticals, ostensibly to mediate. Her increasingly long absences are a source of strife both for her family and the martial community of KOLA TRAN.

*"So not much has changed" is what the pundits would say, if they hadn't all died in the conquest.