Datavore

Datavores are a type of Spark that feed on the information that, at the most basic level, comprises the Hollow.
There are two varieties of datavore. The first is harmless; they must interact with data to survive, but the data they "consume" passes through them undamaged and gets where it needs to go. The most advanced benign datavores -- those capable of passing for sentient beings -- often come across as just extremely curious, though one marker of their true nature is that they seek even the most mundane information. After all, daily work memos can keep them fed just as well as scandalous secrets -- though some might claim that the secrets taste better.
The second variety of datavore, the malignant type, do corrupt the data on which they feed. If they strike at the structure of the Hollow, a malignant datavore can leave holes or dysfunctional places in the world: places that just don’t exist, or glitched places where the environment doesn’t function properly (weird physics, duplication, clipping through things, etc.). The worst cases are locations where the Hollow’s structure no longer turns its raw data into a sensory form that a dragon’s mind can process into a virtual environment. Any dragons “inside” these areas will find their minds filled with a torrent of incomprehensible raw data which replaces all of their sensory input and does not respond predictably to mental output. This is unsafe enough for Wires, but their connections usually have emergency shutoffs to prevent extreme harm in such cases. However, Echoes, with no real body to retreat to, can become stuck in such a state for extended periods of time or even permanently, an unending hell of sensory and bodily dysfunction.
If a malignant datavore targets a user of the Hollow rather than the Hollow itself, that individual may find themselves disconnected from their avatar, not receiving appropriate sensory data or even fully or partially unable to control their avatar’s movements and actions. These avatars often appear “possessed,” glitching out with random movements and speech or ceasing to interact realistically with the environment around them. Some of the oldest and most sophisticated datavores may even take control of their victims' avatars and use them for their own purposes. Again, such a state is far more dangerous for an Echo than for a Wire, since Wires can return to the real world and, in a worst-case scenario, recreate their avatar later.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Spark

Geographic Distribution

• The Hollow