The Great Wurm

The Devourer of Worlds, the Bringer of Change, the primeval Chaos from which everything originated. The deity known as the Great Wurm is the embodiment of Chaos itself. The Wurm is inevitable. It is an unstoppable force that is said to one day swallow the Luminous Tapestry, bringing everything back to its chaotic origins. Every death of a creature, every unguided soul feeds the growing hunger of the Wurm, bringing it ever closer to rising once more.
The Wurm has been the antithesis of Radiant Cocoon's teachings throughout the ages. It is equally feared by the followers of order as the bringer of Chaos and loved by its followers as an angel of salvation.
The deity’s teachings form the core of the Theocracy of the Wurm, led by Lucifuga Duskarr, who calls themselves its Spawn. This religious body views the Wurm not as a harbinger of doom but as a divine liberator, offering salvation through chaos.

Depiction

The Great Wurm’s visage defies a singular form, reflecting the chaotic essence it embodies. It appears as what people expect to see or what they expect to fear. As no depiction could fully capture its presence, the Great Wurm is often envisioned as a colossal grey or black worm, its gaping maw stretching wide like the void itself. Its form symbolizes the cyclical forces of destruction and renewal, as it devours all in its path to pave the way for new life to emerge from the Chaos.

Symbols

The most common symbol of the Wurm is the holy symbol of its Theocracy: an abstract seven-fanged maw crudely edged into a wooden surface or smeared on a wall with mud or blood. It represents the deity's relentless hunger, each of its seven fangs representing one of the seven virtues of the Theocracy of the Wurm.

Commandments

• Judge not by birthright or race and disregard all notions of hierarchy and status. Only by its own actions shall the individual be judged, for in Chaos, everyone is equal.
• Cast aside the shackles of worldly laws and embrace the Chaos surrounding you.
• Feed the hunger of the Wurm willingly, for in sacrifice lies true devotion.

Myth

The Devouring

The Great Wurm was the first of the Chaos Gods, born from the countless cries of lost souls with no place to go. A relentless tide of Chaos washed over Alvandis, devouring the physical and metaphysical alike. The Radiant One could only watch as its creation unraveled. This tragic event came to be known as "The Devouring." In a desperate bid to save creation, the Radiant One sacrificed itself, shielding the Luminous Tapestry in radiant silk and banishing the Wurm to the far reaches of the cosmos.
While most see the Devouring as a cataclysm, the Theocracy of the Wurm knows this event prevented salvation. For them, the Great Wurm was not a monster to be feared but a celestial figure that would free them from the mortal coil.

The Fall of Taḫūmu

The Wurm rose a second time at the end of the Age of Order when the soon-to-be Arachnida destroyed the Gate of Death. When the Gate's destruction ripped a hole in the Radiant Web, an avatar of the Wurm materialized on Alvandis. While this avatar ultimately fell to the combined might of the Order Pantheon, it opened the path for Arachnida's ascension to godhood.

Holy Days and Religious Practices

Feast of Devouring

The Feast of Devouring is celebrated in the Theocracy of the Wurm during the last seven days of the harvesting season. Rituals include prayers, offerings, and communal meals, which symbolize unity in the embrace of Chaos. The highlight of the feast is the dramatic reenactments of the Devouring. However, these performances discount the traditional mythos. Instead, they offer an alternate ending where the Great Wurm triumphs over the Radiant One, symbolically swallowing the sun.

Deity Information

Alternate names/Titles
Devourer of Worlds, Bringer of Change
Divine Classification
Chaos Deity
Province
Chaos, change, rebirth
Divine Realm
Primordial Chaos
Religion/Church/Cult
Theocracy of the Wurm
Sex and/or Gender
Genderless
Depiction
A colossal grey or black worm, with a gaping maw.
Religious Iconography
The Seven-Fanged Maw

---

Worship

Divine Domains
Death, Life, Nature, Rot
Holy Days
Feast of Devouring
Artifacts
The Crown of Thorns