#raze symbiote

[binary-bird]

David's spidersona, Fateweaver, and his symbiote pal Raze!

Normally he fights crime like a regular spider-person, and would only use his monstrous form in a pinch. Over time, however, he starts to use the latter more frequently.

It's not like he's gonna lose himself eventually. I'm sure he'll be fine!

[caramel1mochi]

Weekend Together [Gekko x F! Reader]

Heya! Sorry for the long wait!

This is a part 2 to Trouble in Paradise because the symbiote in my brain won. I'll be writing one-shots and stories daily, and I'll be posting what's done whenever I can, maybe every other day. That means that I'll be separating this into many parts.

But that doesn't mean I won't try to perfect all of this! Quality over quantity, right?

Oh, also, I made a mistake in my last one. I should've used [A/N] because it stands for Agent name. It's fixed now, and Y/N stands for the actual name! Anyway, I'll shut up and get to it!

❤ฺ·。

Gekko x F! Reader. Part 1

Genre: Fluff

Synopsis: Gekko gets over his anxiety and finally asks you out, watching delightfully as you finally let your guard down. Or so he thinks.

。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

Like usual, today was another long day at work. Of course it was. All your subordinates usually spend their time mucking about until they’re called on a mission to do something, whilst the superiors (like you) break their backs trying to figure out the next step. Not that you minded. 

Well, okay, you did. But you just did a swell job at keeping it to yourself, among many other things. At the very least, you all had breaks on the weekends.

Today was Friday. Half past midnight, and you’d just peacefully finished your work. Perfect start to a weekend you’d spend alone, right?

Yeah, duh. Did you think I was gonna say ‘wrong’?

You walked down one corridor and tuned out the endless chatter of the agents near the lounge. The shortest route to your quarters had to always pass by this busy area. Usually you’d be ignored, maybe some of them would wave hello. Today was a bit different.

The loudest friend group sat around one table, noisily yapping to each other whilst their laughter filled the halls. But when they saw you, they all quieted down. But Jett choked on her laughter, coughing.

“Yo, A/N, what’s up?”

Phoenix called out, but the sight of Yoru slamming his hand against Jett’s back twice caught your eye. Weirdly enough, it turned out to be helpful.

Classy.

“Good day.”

“Anything new today?”

“Not much, you?”

“All’s well, mate!”

“Grand.”

The conversation was curt when you got out of their sight, not bothering to stop to actually speak to them. Your legs were sore and you had a headache, why would you stand there any longer for people who weren’t even your friends?

Harsh, but you weren’t the type to sugar coat things. Besides, they continued their own chatter after you left, Yoru’s voice standing out against theirs by the time you were a metre away from the entrance.

“Forty bucks to whoever guesses where she’s from.”

Yoru called out, earning a few looks from the rest. Jett, of course, used one hand to bring Dizzy closer to her and held out the other; palm outstretched.

“England. Hand it over, please.”

“Try again.”

“What? She is! She has an English accent. Phoenix, back me up!”

“Sorry, mate. Can’t help you there. It’s probably the queen’s english, but it’s mad artificial.”

“So the accent’s fake?”

“Yeah. If I were you, I’d go off the hair.”

They brought up your curly orange hair, each lock forming delicate ringlets. Unfortunately, their tidiness gets massacred on account of you always putting it up in a tight ponytail.

This made Raze perk up, loudly clapping once to gain all of their attention.

“Australian! That's right, she’s from Australia!”

“You’re saying that because Skye’s the only other redhead.”

“No! Well, okay, it sounds like it, but I meant that–”

“Sit down.”

Raze leaned back with a huff, Killjoy patting her on the shoulder with reassurance. As much as she wanted to reassure her, even she knew that you weren’t an Aussie like Skye was. Your accents didn’t match up, nor did the texture of your hair.

“Who’s next?”

Yoru looked around in amusement, watching the various expressions of confusion take over all of them. But just as quickly as one thought, the other came up with an answer. And this time, it was Killjoy.

“Norway!”

“Gekko wouldn’t be here if that was true.”

Gekko and Killjoy both shrinked at that sarcastic retort, now Raze comforting her with a pat on the shoulder. But, to be fair, it was kinda true.

Jett, with an immense amount of hesitation, raised her hand.

“Um, Wales?”

“That’s in the UK.”

“Oh! I got it, she’s from Sweden, yeah?”

“Mostly blondes.”

“Japan?!”

“What?”

“I don’t know!”

Killjoy cried out in defeat. Clearly, there was nobody in this room who didn’t want forty bucks for guessing a country correctly. But how the hell could all of them be so wrong? Statistically, at least one should be able to get a correct guess.

Gekko sat back on the couch and crossed his arms, mildly irked by the situation.

“So lame, man. You’re just shutting down all our answers. Do you know where she’s from?”

“No. I just know you’re all wrong.”

“How’re we supposed to make a correct guess without pulling up Wikipedia, then?”

“Hell if I know.”

Yoru stood up and swung his comb shut. Though his face carried a vacant expression, everyone could see the glimmer of pure unadulterated smugness in his eyes.

“Anyway, I’m done here. Call me when you figure it out. And make sure it’s not on my deathbed.”

He joked to himself as he walked away, leaving the entire group staring at him like a pack of starving puppies; which was on brand for such a cruel person like him. 

[kitausuret]

I have a feeling she won't show up but I'm willing to die on the hill of, Jubulile van Scotter would be THEEEEE perfect addition to the current Venom run. Do I say that every run since Carnage ended in 2017? Yes, but this time I really actually for REAL mean it and believe it in my heart of hearts. Can you guys even imagine how absolutely phenomenal of a cast member she would be.

(Carnage (2015) #6)

(Spoilers for Venom #18 below the cut.)

She's already connected to one part of Cosmic Marvel (like, the Darkhold and stuff) and you can't tell me this doesn't belong with all the shenanigans about the Beyonders and all that.. stuff that's happening that I don't understand LOL but I definitely understand it enough to know she belongs in it!!!

Wouldn't it be cool to see HER glowy super cool form next to like, the Eventuality or something? Yes. The answer is yes. Sure, she would probably have to borrow Toxin from Bren or something but come on, if fucking Liz Allan can have a Symbiote then we can bring back one of the best additions to the modern Symbiote cast.

(Carnage (2015) #16; Conway, Perkins - Jubulile, with the amalgamation of the Toxin and Raze symbiotes)

But like, imagine her meeting the Eventuality? That would be so neat, because she IS one of the few people in the world who really knows Eddie's heart. She understands who he is deep down, and that he's a good person, and that even when he makes mistakes - awful ones, even - he's still trying. I think having someone like her re-enter the picture could help ground him and remind him of what's important in his life.

I'm also thinking specifically of this scene:

(Venom (2021) #18; Ewing, CAFU)

Jubulile was kind of in a similar boat (heh) in Carnage! She didn't choose to have her boat fucking obliterated by Carnage. She didn't choose to get essentially infected by a serial killer's symbiote! She was sixteen years old! But she trusted Eddie, and Manuela, and Victoria, and ultimately - she even trusted Toxin.

I think that Eddie, regardless of his current status of living or not living, needs to get to a point of not thinking he needs to do this all on his own. He has friends and allies out there, people who DO care about him.

Look at them! They're so important to me!!! (Carnage #16 again)

I don't know how we would get Jubulile over to the States or what role she might play, maybe borrowing Toxin from Bren for a bit, maybe even gets involved with Dylan's shenanigans... but the magic-Darkhold-infused probably-older-teenager (by now) absolutely needs to be here. Obviously something huge is on the horizon, like literally universe-shattering level stuff (whether I like it or not) so why not pull out all the stops? Besides, I think it might be helpful for Dylan to have a few people around who won't simply be a yes-man to him (sorry, Normie).... but still have some experience in the Symbiote Sector. Jubulile has a really good head on her shoulders, and she would make a great addition as far as "younger-ish people trying to keep an unusually young Venom from doing things he might regret".

Bring her back!! (And bring Vicky and Manny along too, while you're at it!)

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Just Fine and Dandelions

Summary: Like other magical creatures, witches are very territorial.

(Part 1/3)

Many things in this world are beyond human comprehension.

Vampires were tall, gangly things with too much pallor to their skin and wicked sharp teeth. The undead were visibly crumbling into ash, and gave off a horrible smell that warned you of their existence well before they were in striking distance. Sprites were tiny, glowing beings that, like an angler fish, would lead the unwary to an untimely death.

But these aren’t what people fear the most. Because, though the chances of surviving an encounter with such a creature were slim, at least you would know what was going to happen the moment you saw it.

No, the things people fear most are the things that look like them. The faerie are perfect facsimiles of humans, unless you peer too closely at their teeth or count how many fingers they have. Nixie will lure you into the water with them with beautiful songs and even more beautiful bodies, and you won’t realize that they’re not normal until they grab you with their ungodly strength and pull you under.

There was no warning. No chance to run. For why would you run from what you think was just another person?

And then there were witches.

Perhaps witches disturbed humans the most.

Because faerie and nixie usually stick to themselves. They’re willing to leave humans be, as long as they themselves are left alone. If you don't stumble into a faerie's circle, or come close to a nixie's lake, you could go your entire life without seeing one.

Witches, however, will join human society, and humans will never be any the wiser – or rather, not until the witch got bored.

In which case, their problem really isn't the fact that there is a witch in their village, and more the fact that there is a magical being set on razing everything they've ever known and loved to the ground.

Until then, though, witches are perfectly willing to be just yet another human. They're model citizens, really.

After all, gathering all those ingredients for their potions and spells was difficult. Who wants to spend all of their time gardening and hunting when you can simply go into town with a couple of coins and buy most of what you need? Witches need to perform magic to survive, and if they’re spending all of their time doing other things they start to…

Well.

They rot, for lack of a better word.

So, witches hide among humans. Tolerate humans. They’re willing to have symbiotic – or, at the very least, parasitic – relationships with them.

But, like other magical creatures, they are also very territorial.

Which is why, when Marinette looked up from her sewing and her gaze landed upon a ‘man’ with dark skin, her smile strained.

She could feel the magic radiating off of him. The humans wouldn’t notice, she knew. Her entire shop was practically overflowing with magic after all of her years living there, to the point where the floorboards glimmered with glittering gold that she could never quite get out, but the humans’ eyes glazed over it like it wasn’t there at all. So, no, they wouldn’t notice the way that the air around the man seemed to brighten just slightly. As if he was so happy that the world itself had lightened to give that perfect, sunny feeling right back to him.

Not that he actually looked all that happy. His hands curled into fists where they hung out of his traveler’s cloak.

To be fair, she wasn’t all that happy herself.

She fought the urge to reach up and check that her earrings were still in place. That they hadn't popped out of their own accord and rolled right over to him. It was a stupid thought, perhaps, but one that poked at her regardless. If she lost her earrings, she would be ruined. Which was exactly why she couldn't risk drawing any attention to them whatsoever.

She discreetly tied off her most recent sewing project underneath the table before slowly pushing herself to her feet.

She cast a glance around her store. She was the town seamstress. She was good at sewing, could make lace so intricate you would think a spider had woven it. People liked her work, and she liked having something to busy her hands with in the long hours before nightfall. It was mutually beneficial.

And, unfortunately, business was booming.

Which meant that there were several people around to watch as the man glared her down for seemingly no reason.

She set her jaw, forcing her expression to remain as cheerful as she could make it. “Oh, you must be new in town!” She glanced him up and down, and couldn’t quite hide the way her lips tried to curl in disgust. “Come into the back with me, I’ll get your sizes and everything so I can start on something for you.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “When did I say I wanted to commission new clothes from you?”

“Oh, I just assumed. Because…” She made a vague motion to him and his current clothes, and then tipped her head to the side with a smile that was more passive-aggressive than true. “Well, you’re here, aren’t you? Is there any other reason you’d come to a fabrics shop?”

His annoyance faded just slightly, replaced by the barest traces of amusement.

She jutted her chin out, silently daring him to say something that would get them both thrown out of town. After all, the only way someone can sense magic is if they themselves are magic as well, and humans don’t care about honoring the wishes of even the most well-intentioned whistleblowers.

He held her gaze for just a few moments longer before sighing and giving a small shrug of his shoulders. He brought a hand up to steady the backpack slung there, beneath his cloak, making him look like he had a posture that even Quasimodo from Notre Dame would pity.

Quietly, she led him into a backroom. Her tape measures lay there, yes, but that wasn’t at all what she was aiming for.

The moment the door clicked closed, the sigil carved into the door and the wall were joined. A human might see the swirling designs and colorful shapes on her walls as a design choice. But, when she reached into her pocket for a couple of stray flowers and then pressed a hand to the design, channeling enough magic to make the soundproofing rune glimmer her signature deep red color, it became unmistakable. This was the house of a witch.

Not that the man was surprised.

His hand jerked towards the flower vase not that far away, but she knew the intricacies of her house's layout, and he stumbled over a rune. It was harmless, something that stuck his foot to the floor, but it was enough to trip him up regardless. He hissed a curse as his chin slammed against the ground.

She only paid him enough mind to purposefully step on one of his legs on the way to the vase. Her fingers looped around the stems delicately. Water dripped over the floor, but she didn't seem to care.

She almost looked pleasant like that, holding a small bouquet to her chest, smiling with so much ease it almost bled into him. It would look domestic, pretty, sweet…

If he didn't know that living things were extremely powerful channeling tools, and that she could use them to drain the life right out of him with a few simple words.

"Scared of a couple of flowers?" she teased.

She made no moves to stop him while he dispelled the rune binding him to the ground, nor when he pushed himself to his feet. She had the upper hand and she knew it.

Not that he cared to back down. He sneered at her. “Not really. But I can't say that I’m all too fond of the idea of fighting both of you at once.”

She laughed, but there was no real humor there. “Then don’t force me to fight you.”

He tipped his head to the side, seemingly considering it, before humming and stepping around her. Brown eyes scanned the place as he walked around her tiny little abode but, really, he was watching her. Trying to gauge her reactions.

“So,” he said in a light tone. “Where is your Item? Is it a book? Or a sewing needle? That sounds like something you’d do, you seem to like sewing quite a lot, if you chose that to be your job.”

He grabbed a nearby set of knitting needles suddenly, but she didn’t do much more than raise an eyebrow at him.

And then she snorted and started forward.

“You want to play that game, huh? I mean, if you want to find my Item, then surely I’m allowed to have a little looksie for yours as well, right?” Her grin turned sharp. Her heels clicked loudly on the floor with every step she took in his direction, getting louder and louder, faster and faster as she advanced on him. “It’s got to be on you, right? I mean, you wouldn’t leave it out for the werewolves to find, and you aren’t set up in any of the houses in town yet, so it’s got to be in your bag somewhere… I’m sure that, if I just up and grabbed it I’d have it, and I don’t think you’d want me to own you, now, would you?”

She stepped into his personal space, leaning in and smiling in a way that could only ever be described as creepy.

“Don’t start fights you can’t win,” she warned. And, for just a second, she didn't look like an innocent little seamstress. Blue eyes swirled with something Wild, as if nature itself was contained within her tiny frame. Held at bay, but only just.

He grinned and brought a hand up to tap her on the nose.

She opened her mouth to curse (either at him, or to simply curse him), but her voice quickly died in her throat.

A tiny flower poked itself out of his palm, the roots curling around his finger.

She jerked back.

“I don’t.”

(Next part)

[plot-hooks]

We have a younger, adolescent dragon that's been terrorizing this town for a good while, razing and pillaging every month in order to add to its hoard.

The village elders hire the party to escort a diplomatic delegation to the dragon to see if they can just pay the dragon off.

If negotiations go well, the diplomats may try to negotiate to have the dragon fire their forges for a bonus. Thinking long term this may cause a symbiotic relationship where the little town becomes known for its stellar weapons and armor - and they keep their business relationship with the dragon secret.

[sky-scribbles]

"evil space whale thoughts" because WHAT a title

Thank you to both @essektheylyss and @mllekurtz for this one!

'Evil space whale thoughts' is one of the wips relating to the long-term DnD campaign I'm running! (I only know of one of my group who's on tumblr - so if that's you, I'm begging you to stop reading now.)

... and for everyone else, this WIP is a big ol' loredump of ideas for my BBEG, a creature called the Cosmophage (ie. the universe-eater). The idea came about because of a conversation with my 12-year-old dnd-loving nephew that went something like this:

Me: I'm planning the final boss to be some kind of ancient aberration that swims from the Far Realm to find magical planets and then devours the magical energy from them, leaving them lifeless husks.

Nephew: That's so cool. You should make it a giant space whale. But evil.

Me, taking mental notes: ... That sounds good.

Nephew: But instead of a whale tail, it has jellyfish tentacles. And it glows.

Me: Yes.

A snippet from the loredump:

The Cosmophage feeds by latching onto a magic-rich world like a gargantuan leech and sinking crystalline spikes from its belly right into the planet's core. While draining the world's energy, the creature is immobile and vulnerable - and so it sends its harbingers to cleanse worlds in preparation for its coming.

As the Cosmophage swims the astral tides of the Far Realm, lesser aberrations flock to it like pilot fish to a shark. Core spawn, star spawn, and similar beings take up residence in the hive-like network of tunnels within the Cosmophage's gargantuan form, becoming both its symbiotes and its hive mind. Absorbed into the beast's consciousness, these aberrations scout through gaps between the planes, hunting for magic-rich planets. When one is found, a long game of infiltration begins as the spawn recruit cultists, seed discord, and do all within their power to ensure that the world falls to infighting and chaos. By the time cosmic signs and vast tears between realms reveal the arrival of the Cosmophage, it is too late to rally armies. The Cosmophage razes what civilisations remain, with its symbiote spawn feeding on the dead.

... Unless my player characters stop it, of course. (Fun fact, my nephew came up with a whole bunch of homebrew ideas, and I'm currently making as many as I can so I cna present them to him in a lil book when I next see him! It's the least I can do for the BBEG inspiration :'D)

Tysm for asking!!

[triclopsrabbit]

quick sketch of raze

[elgaberino-mcoc]

Series: Characters Not Yet on the Wishlist Nor in a Tournament /sub-series: International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month /sub-series: Theme Day: Too-Obscure Symbiote Females

Raze

short-lived Carnage-spawn created with the Darkhold

-Mystic -Synergy: Carnage, S.Witch

Claire Dixon

anti-Symbiote FBI agent, Raze host-Skill

-synergy: Venom, Scorpion

OTHER GAMES Spider-Man Unlimited

Bio: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Claire_Dixon_(Earth-616)

[the-symbiote-army]

Welcome Fandom...

The Symbiote Army...

@redladydeath @apprenticenanoswarm @mentalrhapsody @space-robotcookiee @mushroomsandteeth @multifandomranter @witchfire24 @felinalain @symbisexual-disaster-returns @randomtrashanimal @judas-had-a-crown @bowtothetangerinequeen @peace-love-happiness @mon-berry

Screw it. I had to make it into a blog so, this is The Symbiote Army.

If you're one of us, then join us. Everyone who beleives in this, like this post, or reblog it. Something that shows you're part of this fandom. And you'll be added to the list of people above. We are a wonderful community, and I want everyone to be able to understand the sense of unity that comes from it.

[acutecoral]

A doodle I did a bit ago that went out of hand haha

Watched Venom a week ago and suffice to say I FLIPPING LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! I really wanna watch it againnnn

I ended up doodling my symbiote or uh, venomsona?

We're called Raze! She's a big cuddle baby and a sweetheart~

[hold-my-hand-selfships]

Imagine your symbiote f/o experiencing brain freeze for the first time since bonding with you and getting really confused and protective because YOU'RE HURTING I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ARE YOU GETTING HURT?? ARE YOU OKAY?

And then assuring them that it's fine, it's just what happens when you drink cold stuff too quickly. It'll fade in a bit.

They whine and curl up closer to you, telling you to drink slower.

[sepublic]

Bota Magna

            In the centuries after the Shattering, plantlife on Bota Magna not only managed to survive, but somehow began to rapidly flourish, evolve, and mutate. Perhaps this was because of the radiation from the Shattering- Which destroyed life in some parts of the planet, but boosted it in others, as part of the Creation/Destruction properties of Energized Protodermis.

         Alien flora overtook and assimilated the entire fragment of Bota Magna, eventually competing with one another in a brutal jungle frenzy. Evolution occurred, creating strange beasts made entirely of plantlife, able to run and move around like those of flesh, and feed on prey. Some of these beasts evolved into sapient beings… Other forms of flora became powerful parasites, or in some cases symbiotes whom surviving Agori on Bota Magna learned to bond with.

         In turn, these Agori were assimilated into the biodiversity of Bota Magna, becoming one with nature and able to communicate with it. Some descendants of these survivors outright evolved into true plant-Agori hybrids, merging with the symbiotes over time. Others yet became pure plantlife, indistinguishable from the sapient plants born directly of Bota Magna; This was due to consumption of Bota Magna’s vegetation across generations, with flora gradually becoming a part of these descendants’ bodies, replacing the original flesh as it decayed and made way for new cells.

         The root systems of Bota Magna eventually intermingled into something resembling a type of hive-mind network, able to communicate with one another across vast distances. Everything became alive and was part of this larger, interconnected biosphere… Bota Magna became akin to a living being of its own, composed of an ecosystem the way many creatures have individual cultures of bacteria inside their own bodies. Those connected to Bota Magna could learn to ‘hear’ through its infinite network of mycelium and roots, as flora both fed and fed off one another in a cycle.

         Bota Magna thus brimmed with an enormous cycle of Life and Death unseen- Things constantly dying, constantly being birthed, and so forth. The moon fragment became less that, and more like a massive super-plant of its own, a living terrarium partially composed of earth, dirt, and stone- Which was connected to the very essence and life of the larger Bota Magna. If one were to raze a portion of its vast jungles, it is said that the moon itself would feel the pain, and even the rocks themselves would scream in pain. Water, rain- It was the ‘blood’ of Bota Magna, its cycle being the flow of its visceral fluids.

         According to legend, the Tesara came into existence when a lone seed, a massive pod, was ejected from Bota Magna- Hurtling through space and into Bara Magna’s atmosphere, it survived entry into the atmosphere, withstanding the heat and friction as it crashed into the desert. By luck, it happened upon an underground reservoir of water, and linking up with it, the Tesara grew… Eventually, its own survival and further growth was cultivated by the Agori who happened upon and settled with it. While not symbiotically-linked down to their very bodies, the Agori nevertheless developed a symbiotic relationship with the Tesara, helping to feed it the flesh of dead bodies and animals, in return for nourishing water, sap, and fruit.

         It seems that like all life, the Bota Magna wants to spread and live… And it senses a massive desert planet below that, while barren, could be converted by its powerful influence and properties into fertile soil, a breeding ground for more flora. A place to assimilate, and become one with, making Bota Magna even larger; Thus, over the years, titanic roots and vines began to grow from the underside of Bota Magna, spreading and reaching out to Bara Magna. Upon reaching the surface of Bara Magna, these continental roots could serve as a bridge between the two worlds; With massive veins within the roots acting as tunnels to travel through.

         Supposedly, Bota Magna had just barely made enough contact with Bara Magna, in order to cultivate the growth of plantlife around the crater it had emerged from. This allowed Agori from Bara Magna to migrate to Bota Magna, although the reverse hardly happened as the deserts were unappealing compared to the security of the jungle moon. This ‘second generation’ of Agori from Bara Magna, purely flesh, also began to transform- But due to their recent nature, there are quite a few from this second generation who remember being Agori of just blood and bone, and are horrified by the changes that have begun to occur on the molecular level.

         Before any more interaction could occur, however, Tuma emerged with his tribe of Skrall. The rogue Great Being had survived the crash of the Great Beings’ flying fortress, and successfully quarantined the Baterra infestation within a massive energy barrier… For now. But he knew that if the Baterra were to escape, they would rapidly infect the Bota Magna itself; And through the Bota Magna, they could infect Bara Magna itself, and eventually Aqua Magna as well.

         Amassing a legion of loyal followers amongst the Great Beings’ aides, Tuma formed the Skrall. They embarked on a mission to contain and combat the Baterra threat, and travelled down the massive roots of the Bota Magna. Upon arriving on the surface of Bara Magna, they quickly set up work, establishing the advanced fortress of Roxtus. A massive artillery cannon was built, disguised as a Great Volcano, and aimed at the roots of the Bota Magna. The blasts from the Great Volcano’s ‘eruptions’ burned away the tips of its roots, severing the jungle moon’s connection with Bara Magna; As a result, the flora it started on Bara Magna became confined to just that area, without further nourishment to spread, and remained inert like regular plantlife.

         The Great Volcano continued to fire at the roots, gradually shearing them away. Once Tuma felt the roots had been shortened to a reasonable length, he cut down the progress… But nevertheless, it was a regular duty of the Skrall to essentially ‘trim’ the roots of Bota Magna, to keep it from connecting with Bara Magna, and thus opening a way for the Baterra to infect the desert planet as well, in the event of their release.

         Bota Magna’s symbiotic nature does raise some philosophical questions, for many; Would bonding with it be assimilation, the way being assimilated by a Baterra would be? The Agori of Bota Magna retain their sense of self, unlike the Baterra’s hosts… And they become attuned with nature, with reality as matter itself becomes living and interconnected. Some would argue reality is already interconnected, and Bota Magna is taking it to the next level; Regardless, some are uncomfortable about the massive changes that would come from this symbiosis, including members of the second generation of Agori migrants; All members of the first generation have since been replaced by their descendants.

         Even if the symbiosis leaves agency and free will, there are those who would wish to retain the bodily autonomy of themselves and their world; The Agori of Bara Magna remember how Spherus Magna once was, so to have it all be made into one would feel alien and invasive to them. In the end, it is likely a matter of personal choice and consent- Which means that while Bota Magna should be allowed to live, even if it is a mutation from the Shattering, it must still be reasonably contained.

         Bota Magna itself has a soul, and every living thing, down to the most minute cell, is connected to that very soul and a part of it… Which of course does raise the question of what would happen if that soul was slain; Would all of the branching organisms that spread out die? Unless they were to find another source of nourishment and sustenance? Some have criticized the symbiosis of Bota Magna and its civilizations as ‘dependency’, that has turned the Agori into glorified parasites.

         Others postulate that while life is certainly much more difficult without the other, like any mutual relationship, the individual can still survive on its own. And there are those who theorize that in order to kill Bota Magna’s soul, one would need to slaughter the vast portions of its inhabitants as well- For they contribute to that soul too, to keep it alive so it may regrow from any damage. And should sufficient damage be done, the Bota Magnans would simply be cut off, but able to still survive… Perhaps reverting to their original state for the Agori, though this does raise the questions of those born of the Shattering.

         Would they survive, the way a clipping is able to thrive into its own organism? Could they then reconnect with one another to recreate the Bota Magna, so long as any clipping or extension of it still lives out there? Given the nature of life… Probably, which is a reassuring concept for many Bota Magnans, who are only more emboldened by the promise of symbiosis. They may lose something should they be cut off from the Bota Magna, but they can still subsist on their own, and eventually remake what was lost.

         For the Agori descendants, they’d merely be knocked down to their original states as beings separate from Bota Magna, and besides, the Agori of Bara Magna can survive without symbiosis themselves… But barely, which makes such skepticism of the Bota Magna’s benefits seem almost laughable and hypocritical. That hasn’t prevented hesitation by those who have yet to be convinced- Some Bara Magnans believe that for the Agori descendants who fully transitioned into plantlife, they were essentially ‘overridden’ by the Bota Magna and its children, the sapient plants.

         To them, these new species are the true parasites, not the Agori- Having ‘stolen’ the bodies and even the souls of ‘true’ Agori, using them as nutrition to fuel their own evolution. These transitioned descendants are justifiably offended by these beliefs, insisting they are simply mutual descendants of the original Agori AND the Bota Magna, together- The way one comes from two parents. Yes, eventually Bota Magna’s genes became predominant, if one wanted to put it that way- But it’s no different than parents of two races having descendants who choose to marry to just one race. Their heritage is still intact, unlike what these eugenicists claim- And similarly, they and the species born directly of Bota Magna are disgusted by the notion that the jungle moon’s children are somehow lesser as people anyway.

         Alas, there are some fanatics amongst the Bota Magna Agori who believe that their symbiosis with nature is a true ‘unity’, and are more than willing to force it upon others. They wish to cultivate and spread the reach of Bota Magna to everyone, whether they like it or not- While most Agori of the jungle do not agree with this, this faction nevertheless makes for a dangerous and radical sect. The most mad go so far as to hope that by becoming one with Bota Magna, all life can essentially mix as part of the same, uniform mass of a superorganism; Perhaps the successor to the being from which protodermis is the hypothesized remains of.

         To them, the Great Spirit Robot is a blasphemous concept, due to its incorporation of cold, lifeless metal and technology. In general, these radical cults disdain the ‘dead’ machines of those such as the Great Beings, arguing they are not intertwined with the Bota Magna enough, and seek to destroy them. This has led to inevitable conflicts with the Skrall army posted around the Valley of the Maze, who are tasked with keeping an eye on the Baterra and maintaining the quarantine, as long as possible. Those of Kabrua’s clan, or the Elemental Lord of Earth, are also at odds with these fanatics.

         There is of course the ironic accusations of hypocrisy on both ends between these Bota Magnan cults and the Skrall, both of whom insist upon bodily modification to attain a peak of existence, even against the consent of others. The Skrall see themselves as much more reasonable about this, wanting to incorporate life and technology together seamlessly; And despite their smaller numbers, they hold out against the cults. The cults believe they are selfishly safeguarding and hoarding a powerful secret within the Valley of the Maze; A treasure, a great power, that can ensure the unmitigated growth of the Bota Magna.

         They aren’t entirely wrong in that regard; Being infected by the Baterra would certainly boost Bota Magna’s growth as a host, giving it the energy boost needed to spread out and infect Bara Magna… But of course, at the cost of autonomy. But these fanatics are mad enough to believe that any loss of personal identity is acceptable, and even a blessing, in favor of pure unity and universal harmony. It is unknown if the endless hunger of the Bota Magna has influenced these cultists, or if they’re simply just nuts, entirely of their own accord.

         The Baterra aren’t the only secret to find in the maze, of course- There is one other, a potentially more benevolent solution to Bota Magna’s growth. She is a Great Being, cursed by the Ignika to bring all things to life around her, down to the very sunlight and air itself; Which on a moon whose air is essentially the breath of a superorganism, makes her a perfect fit. For better or worse, she is trapped and quarantined within the tower at the center of the maze; Contained within its energy barrier, but also still separate from the Baterra, who have attempted to get to her.

         Luckily, the unique nature of her curse, and the beings she brings to life, allow this Great Being to create ‘soldiers’ that are essentially immune to Baterra infection. It seems the Ignika and its life energies are a worthy counter to the Baterra… It is not certain if it’s a good idea to let her free; Would she bring harmony and better growth with Bota Magna, while still maintaining identity, as the moon blesses Bara Magna with its fertility? Could she help unite the pieces of Spherus Magna without needing the Great Spirit Robot, in a unique way that nevertheless allows the return of civilization, even if under a new form?

         Or would she contribute to the mindless assimilation that some worshippers hope to achieve? There are cults who know of her presence, and seek to free this Great Being… Would she live up to these expectations? And in the end, could she- For reckless attempts by the cults to free this cursed god would undoubtedly free the Baterra in the process. And the Skrall of Bota Magna refuse to disclose the situation, knowing full and well that the cults would only accept the Baterra, and become even more emboldened to release them.

        The Cursed Being is a wild card… She could spell insurmountable doom, or salvation, for Spherus Magna. That is assuming she herself is not outdone entirely by the Baterra, but as far as anyone knows, they might just end up as tools and pawns for her… Or the other way around. Perhaps a mutual symbiosis? Tuma is unsure of how his sister would react then, and certainly not now, after thousands of years of isolation and madness. Can she be trusted? Time will tell… But some betters are probably better off not knowing in the first place. Some questions really don’t need to be answered, when the mystery is if anything a known, safe, and reliable alternative.