Entity

<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Entity</default></title>

<image source="image"><default>File:Placeholder location.png</default></image> <header>Basic Information</header> <image source="map"></image> <label>Type</label> <label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Inhabitants</label> <header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label> </infobox> The Entities are a race of multiversal creatures larger than Earth, and the source of parahuman powers.

Background

The Entities originally lived on a planet of gray sludge before they evolved the ability to move between universes to the different versions of that same world. Over time, this ability allowed them to breed until they choked out almost all other life on their world in every universe. Over and over, the Entities fought against one another in an attempt to avoid starvation - bringing life back to some versions of their world while others were left barren.

In time, one of the Entities realized that there was only so much time left before every version of their world had been rendered barren, and proposed the species leave their planet. One last war was fought, and in the end there were only two entities left, each so large their bodies covered numerous worlds. They formed their bodies into numerous fragments that were themselves smaller entities, then leeched away all the heat and energy from all versions of their world and used it to shatter their planet and launch their fragments into space like the seeds of a dandelion.<ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

They travel through space as multi-dimensional organisms comprised of both organic matter and inorganic matter known as shards/fragments. Typically traveling in pairs, these titanic beings exist in forms as large as moons or planets, with the sole goal of finding a means of preventing the entropic death of the universe. The pairs can be broken down into the Warrior and the Thinker. The Warrior is presumably more powerful than the Thinker, whereas the Thinker is capable of abstract thought, imagination and planning. It is stated by the entity known as Scion that 'he' is incapable of completing his cycle without his partner, as he is incapable of refining shards by himself. The validity of this statement is suspect, as a third entity is known to travel independent of a partner (although it is smaller), and Scion implies some degree of individual growth when initiating the Golden Morning. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

In order to learn a means by which to prevent the cold death of the universe the entities disseminate 'shards' across worlds with sapient life. Shards are fragments of the entities capable of retaining information and maturing as a means of learning and are distinctly alive. Nearly all of an entities shards are distributed bar a few 'vital' shards. Through this process knowledge is acquired across many intergalactic societies; knowledge which can then be granted to the next set of hosts forming the basis of the super-powers seen in Worm. This process of distributing and re-acquiring shards is known as their Life Cycle. Similar shards exist in the entities in clusters with similar attributes or functions. When a superpower is given to a human all of the shards necessary to form the superpower are sent as a group. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

As the entities approach new planets they look into the future to observe how shards shed from their mass will interact with the local life-forms. Modifications are then made to the shards in response to the observed future, in order to make them compatible with their soon-to-be hosts. This is the origin of the Manton effect. Modifications are also made to prevent the shards from being used against the entities. One such alteration is the inability to remember the entities following a trigger event and was done using Imp's shard. Another inhibits Contessa's power from affecting Scion or the Endbringers. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

The shards are spread across Earths in many dimensions and are targeted towards specific individuals. However once the shards are cast off from the Entity they are largely independent, capable of finding a host most suitable for them, this is shown when a shard intended for Aisha's father hops over to her instead. Once a host is chosen the shard is sequestered in an alternate, barren, Earth where it processes the complexities of the power and serves as an energy source. By doing so the Shard remains safe from damage, with its only connection to the host existing through the Cornona Pollentia. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref> During a second trigger event the shard networks with other shards and draws on collective information to bypass the restrictions and save its host. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Venom 29.7</ref>

The shards are capable of maturing and grow through experience and use. Given time and enough new information the shards can split to form sub-shards, as demonstrated by Taylor & Aiden. These enter non para-humans near to the original and allow access to new powers- but retain similar features to their parent shard. This is shown through Aiden, who, like Taylor, also has master powers. Sub-shards explain why parents and children have similar powers. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

Dimensions are separated into groups according to their similarity to each other, with shards capable of accessing para-humans across these similar dimensions. By grouping them like this the entities maximize the amount that can be learned without re-hashing the same experiences over and over. Dimensions are chosen according to the degree of strife, long-term viability of the host and population of the planet. <ref>"Worm" Web Serial, Interlude 26.x</ref>

Life Cycle

The entities' life cycle is like that of a virus, infecting hosts, where they will mature and divide, then destroying the host planet in order to launch themselves to a new planet so they can do it again.

An example of growth can be seen it Taylor's Queen Administrator shard, whereby initially Taylor's subconscious summons bugs to herself whilst suffering under the effects of Bakuda's bombing. After she has been through several battles her insects are capable of producing tethers of silk- a sign of how her creative problem solving skills have influenced the maturation of her shard.

Division occurs when a shard is nearly fully matured, leading to the formation of a sub-shard, as mentioned above.

The entities only destroy the planet once 'critical mass' is reached. At this point the entities recollect their distributed shards (similar to what Glaistig does), killing the hosts. What determines critical mass is not explained in the series.

References

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