Web of Life

[u/cthultystka]

In The Great Sphere, Life is embodied as Ammeoth, also called The Scarlet Weaver, or The Mother and Father of All Life.

In reality, Ammeoth exists in every living thing and doesn't have a shape as such, although there is a sentience behind the force (sentience so vast and encompassing it's completely beyond human comprehension).

People of all worlds, species, and cultures worship Ammeoth. They may be portrayed as the divine version of whatever species built the temple (for example, humans). Or as a giant, nine-limbed arachnid sitting on top of the Web of Life.

The Web of Life is a symbol people use to understand life and the interconnectedness of nature. It’s also the basis of their taxonomy.

Traditionally, the Web of Life has nine arms (Nine being the sacred number in the Great Sphere).

(Disclaimer: the Great Sphere is a universe with billions of worlds connected by portals, so the Web of Life is a massive simplification. "The Animals", for example, could probably easily be divided into several separate kingdoms by genetic/celular analysis, but they're grouped together because of their role in the environment. Also, I'm not nerdy enough to explore the cellular structure of fictional beings).

1. Animals - similar enough to what we on Earth understand as animals. They move around, need an external food source. There are two special categories:

a) Tlaloi - mortals, sapient beings( that is, ones capable of creating civilizations and using tools, however primitive. Also capable of abstract thought and limited use of magic. Examples: humans, vhariars, chavikii.)

b) Queloi - magical beings. Half mortals, who can be killed, but never die of old age or natural causes. They don’t need food, but exist solely by ae (magical energy). Their magical abilities are high above anything possible for mortals. Examples: doukyalvr, lisyalvr.

1. Plants - a broad group of mostly sessile organisms capable of turning inorganic matter into organic matter. Includes aquatic and celestial plants.

2. Fungi - similar enough to fungi on Earth.

3. Zoophytes - on Earth this term historically was used to describe some sessile animals, thought to be forms between animals and plants. Within The Great Sphere, they make up a completely separate kingdom. Zoophytes are heterotrophic, which means they must consume organic matter, usually decaying plants or algae. They're mostly sessile, though some have motile larval stages. Most of them are small, but some species can grow into pseudo-trees. Their internal build and biochemistry are completely different from animals, plants or any other group.

Some zoophytes are cultivated.

A few species of pseudo-trees are grown for food, the most popular form being called meatwood. When dried, it gets as hard as wood and lasts forever, but when rehydrated and cooked, it melts in the mouth. Other species produce regenerating pseudo-organs, that can be harvested repeatedly for as long as the zoophyte lives. A few can be grown for harvestable egg-seeds or oils.

Others provide membranes used in magic, technology or water filtration.

1. Slimes - smaller species are similar to slime molds, while larger (mostly colonial) resemble fantasy slime monsters. The large ones can reach impressive sizes, though being slow and dependent on external food sources limits their growth. The biggest ones have symbiotic blue algae or live in environments where no other organisms could survive.

2. Blue Algae - organisms capable of turning inorganic matter into organic matter, but completely unrelated to plants. Most of them are single-cell, but a few species produced duckweed-like pseudoplants. They live in the water, soil and within the skydomes. The ones living inside skydomes are the only organisms capable of transforming pramatter from the Outside into regular matter. All others do it through symbiotic algae.

Many blue algae can be turned into food for humans or bioplastic (sometimes both). Dahlsi and Llodran people routinely consume blue algae, and their bodies have some ability to digest bioplastic.

1. Microflora - this kingdom encompasses all living beings that emanated directly from Ammeoth Themselves and evolved to give rise to macroscopic beings. It's probably more complex than all other Arms combined.

2. Aephytic microbes - a special group of microorganisms capable of creating organic matter using nothing but ae. Extremely rare on the Fifth Circle (where most of the sentient life resides), but more common on the Third and Seventh. Thought to be dominant on the Second and Eighth, but few mortals ever reached that far and lived to tell the tale. There's probably no life on the First and Ninth.

3. Aephytic pseudo-plants - plant-like organisms that create life particles using nothing but ae. Extremely rare on the Fifth Circle, but more common on the Third and Seventh, where they are often the dominant life forms. Some pseudo-plants were brought to be cultivated on the Fifth Circle for their magical properties. Examples:

a) Spider tree - its sap is used to make ichorine, which can be used as a blood replacement.

b) Lopham - lopham thorns are used as piercing. Driven through tongue, they allow one to be understood by all sentient beings. Driven through tragus they allow one to understand all living beings.

c) Koeron - its seed pods can be turned into whistles that have the power to enchant anyone who hears them. People under the koreon spell can be made to do simple things (walk, stand, sit - not dance Makarena or pretend to live normal lives until the protagonist is ready to be lured into a trap).

d) Yel-hai - a martyr tree, rumored to drastically increase the magical potential of anyone who can survive being enveloped by its tendrils. In the Old Karirian Cluster, they're considered a myth.