Foundation Wyrms

Back when Veron was only a tiny chunk of rock orbiting a lonely star, barely large enough to be considered a planet, it was inhabited by the Foundation Wyrms; beings of massive size and godlike destructive power. When the Elders began to terraform the planet, they thought that the drastic shifts in climate, atmosphere, and gravity would eventually kill the original inhabitants off, if they even survived the billions of tons of rock being added to the planet in the first place.
They were extremely wrong.
Surprising everyone, the Foundation Wyrms not only survived this drastic change in ecosystem, but thrived. They fed off of any biological matter present, both physically and Psionically. Over time, the Wyrms became more powerful and difficult to control. The more prosperous Veron became, the more it's resources had to be devoted to keeping the Wyrms in check, until Veron was effectively just a gigantic containment cell with the Wyrms trapped somewhere inside.
Some Wyrms are content to languish in their cells for now, passively feeding off of the rich Psionic energy of the planet's new ecosystem. Still others have found new homes underground, amusing themselves by hunting the strange creatures they find in the dark.
Of course, no cell ever conceived could hold a discontent Wyrm indefinitely. Now, hundreds of years after the Elders left on their spiritual journey, a few of the Wyrms have been able to break free from captivity and stake claims on the new surface of Veron, claims that not even the armies of the Conflux infringe upon lightly.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Foundation Wyrms Have a long, snakelike body that ends in a horned head and a toothy maw. They also sport wings which they use to fly and clawed arms for grasping smaller objects.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Foundation Wyrms only need precious little energy to survive; which they can gain just from passively absorbing psionic energy emitted by living creatures. In order to move more than a twitch every hundered years or so, they may need a more direct approach. Chomping down on entire forests can give a Wyrm the energy to do more fantastic psionic feats, such as flying and generating plasma, but some prefer the sweeter sensation of finding a Psion and ripping their power directly from them. The act won't necessarily kill the Psion, but the trauma will most likely prevent them from ever using their powers again. Of course, most probably won't have much time to worry about it; the Psion's body is a favorite dessert.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

Anyone who calls a Wyrm a beast would do best to reconsider. Wyrms may learn more slowly than most sapient races, but most of them have had far longer to do so than most Anthro-Rodentia and have attention spans that last for a matter of days, not minutes. Such dedication inevitably lends itself to the development of Psionic abilities within the first few centuries of life. Most Wyrms can speak at least one language, and most of those amuse themselves by making puns, riddles, and poems in their spare time.

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Wyrms that stake claims on the surface of Veron are often treated as sovereign nations in of themselves; one in which the citizens, military, and ambassadors are all the same gigantic being. This is out of neccessity; few armies can afford to tangle with a single Wyrm, let alone every single one on the surface of Veron, so international law allows for negotiation, even though things usually turn out in the Wyrm's favor anyway. Luckily, once a Wyrm stakes a claim, they are usually content to maintain their borders without expanding for hundreds of years, if not longer.
Back in the earlier days of the Old Wars many tribes used to worship Wyrms as god-kings, which the Wyrms usually received with passing amusement. The practice has dwindled over the past thousand years, however some cults still remain around a few of the creatures.

Lifespan

unknown; in excess of 2,000 years

Average Length

1500 ft