Starry Eyes

They are not of void. They are not of man. They reside neither in the Far Realm, nor Gearva, nor the Wraith Globe. They have no life, yet they are brimming full of it. There is a hollow light behind their eyes, one that twists the stars until they lay incorrectly on the canvas of the sky.

- Volthunae, the Great Being of Void

Many brave or foolhardy souls have ventured their way into the distant Far Realm through whatever crack in the boundaries of the Wraith Globe they can find. Perhaps that is the great gateway of Schimbaru, the last true border between the Wraith Globe and the Far Realm, or some other chink in the armor Artukos laid so long ago. What is certain is that the connection between these two worlds remains strong. Although it is more hospitable than most believe it to be, the Far Realm holds many dangers to the denizens of the Wraith Globe, some of which may not be apparent at first. Entering the Far Realm marks a separation from one's native system of logic; the ethics of one world are in no way the same as another's. Much damage to the mind is sustained from an individual's first step into another world, but the following steps prove to be easier. Once a native of the Wraith Globe has been in the Far Realm for even a few moments, their mind begins to protect itself from its surroundings, mentally shielding itself from the bombardment of absurdity from each sense. However, this protection does not last for long. Slowly but surely, one's mind will begin to slip into depravity without anchoring thoughts reminding it of what it once was and of its home, the Wraith Globe. If left to fester inside a mortal's mind, they begin to lose all grip on reality and the concept of the self, and soon afterward they are lost to time and space, a vacant mind with no home. This marks the birth of a terrible Starry Eye...

---

Once a mortal being has been partially thrown out of existence in this way, they are commonly invaded by a crystalline parasite native to the Far realm known as Krystamuli by locals. However, the fact that there is a mind of both the Far Realm and the Wraith Globe present causes the Krystamuli to run rampant, hunting down everything that breaths, including other Starry Eyes. Not only is this to feed the monster's need for combining with new matter, but it also acts as the enactment of a Starry Eye's very identity. The mixed signals of both worlds cause the Starry Eyes to feel primal hatred towards both worlds. They exist within neither world, so both worlds are alien to them.

---

Furthermore, the Krystamuli within a Starry Eye is not completely dormant, meaning that if a shard of the parasite were to break off and lodge itself in another creature, its influence would begin to slowly worm its way into the new host's mind. This affliction is commonly referred to as Refraction due to the way it affects an individual's perception of light.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A Starry Eye is a morbid amalgamation of animal parts, organs, and flesh from the various creatures of the Wraith Globe it has consumed, coating and enveloping its vacant crystalline host, which usually takes the form of teal crystals sprouting from the bodies of the creature. The interior structure of the average Starry Eye is anatomically impossible, usually having multiple of one organ or none of another. Legs or limbs can hang limp in awkward places and internal organs can be visible out of poorly knit-together patches of flesh. However, all Starry eyes share one attribute: hollow, teal eyes devoid of emotion, feeling, or intent. As their name suggests, those eyes hold secrets that neither the Far realm nor the Wraith Globe can ever comprehend. They are capable of bending a weak mind's concept of the stars themselves.

Growth Rate & Stages

In order to sustain their mass, Starry Eyes must continually merge with new living tissues to survive. This often comes in the form of unwary adventurers or animals, but it can also take the form of other starry eyes. It can even be measured how many other of its kind a given Starry Eye has consumed by counting the number of glowing blue eyes it possesses, each pair beyond the first representing the consumption of another.

Ecology and Habitats

Starry Eyes can only survive on the borders between the Wraith Globe and the Far Realm, as that is the closest thing they have to an anchor upon which they can exist. This means that the major locations in which Starry Eyes can be found are within Schimbaru (especially The Cathedral of Schimbaru), on the outer edges of the Far Realm bordering the Wraith Globe, and near any other openings in the Wraith Globe that solely lead to the Far Realm. For this reason, Starry Eyes are often seen by adventurers as the gatekeepers of the distant Far Realm. If a Starry Eye is forced to leave the border between these two realms, the Krystamuli host rapidly shatters into small shards of crystal and the living matter of the aberration rots away within a few hours.

Biological Cycle

Although the appearance of Starry Eyes is oft random, it is known that the density of their appearances increases tenfold when a new gateway to the Far realm is opened within the Wraith Globe. This acts as just one of the many deterrents to the prospect of opening a new passageway directly to the Far Realm.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Due to the fact they are home to no world, these creatures can see beyond into some other, imperceptible realm. Not much is known about this extra sense that the Starry Eyes possess, but some theorize that this is why these creatures can often be seen blankly staring into the distance: they are observing something in that distant world.

Geographic Distribution

• The Cathedral of Schimbaru
• The Far Realm