Voroc Carriers

The winged people known as Strix recently warned Pact Worlds authorities that a group of their kind, who fled into The Vast hundreds of years ago to seek a cure for a psychic disease, has returned at the behest of its newest leader. Unfortunately, the returned are still infected with the disease, which the warning strix have called “voroc,” an ancient strix word that loosely translates to “plague of the mind.” The voroc carriers were once typical strix who underwent rituals to open their minds to the universe after The Gap in an attempt to learn more about this period of mass amnesia. Strix historians believe that something in the dark beyond the stars, answered and set their minds on fire. The afflicted strix became telepathic, but any creature that they contacted with their minds also became a voroc carrier. Those in charge of Qidel, a major strix enclave on Verces, sent the afflicted away before it became an epidemic or spread to other species. Now, centuries later, the voroc carriers have returned, having been convinced by their leader that the cure to their disease lies in psychically contacting as many different species as possible and that the right combination of foreign thoughts will burn away the plague. Structure

Members

Voroc carriers are exclusively the descendants of those strix who left Verces years ago. Fewer than 30 of them live on an unnamed vessel that is currently traveling through Near Space, its origin point unknown. They have a fervent religious devotion to their leader, whom they believe will free them from their lifelong curse.

Leaders

The voroc carriers’ leader is Brydier (CN male strix mystic), a fervent and driven individual whose only goal is to cure his followers of their plague. From the bridge of his starship, he contacts civilizations as the vessel passes, claiming to be looking for refuge for his people. Any planet or moon the voroc carriers land on is quickly subjected to their telepathic intrusions. Brydier and his strix then move on, leaving a trail of mental illness in their wake.

Enemies

The Stewards are aware of the voroc carriers but remain uncertain how to control the threat. A few more reactionary agencies, having learned of the voroc carriers through their spies and contacts within the Stewards, have sent out hit squads to eliminate the voroc carriers, but all have been fatally exposed to the disease. As Brydier’s vessel approaches the Pact Worlds, the authorities are beginning to grow desperate.

Public Agenda

The voroc carriers simply want to be rid of their disease, but they are adamant that Brydier’s way is the only true method. They refuse to accept any other assistance, medicinal or spiritual. Unfortunately, this has led to a handful of deaths in Near Space systems, as non-strix victims who are infected with voroc are stricken with incredibly high fevers and terrible hallucinations, leading eventually to a full shutdown of the nervous system.