Mindraisers
Zklklkls, commonly called mindraisers, are small parasitic isopods found within the innermost galleries of ancient Spheres. Clutched onto the walls, they leech on the very essence of their host, its indecipherable mind. They are hunted vermin to some, priceless boons to others. As they devour the complex thoughts of the giants, the minuscule creatures reach a form of enlightenment thought to be the sole realm of higher minds. An acquired mental fortitude that they consent to share to whoever is foolish enough to deliberately become their new host.
Ecology of the intruder
These isopods are very small and experience minimal growth during their lifetime. Their actual size depends on the strain endemic to each Sphere. On Oblogga, they are usually about the same size as an Oblogg's eye, whereas on Ryonmnea it is hardly possible to spot them due to their minuscule body.
Mindraisers are usually found in the deepest cavities of a Sphere, living in colonies of between ten to a hundred individuals spanning a wide area. When their community becomes too cramped, impairing their access to the food source, two phenomenons occur at the same time: the oldest specimens unable to reproduce detach from the wall and crawl on the ground where they wither away, and the youngest migrate to another area of the vast galleries. Thus, they go from an unbearable overpopulation to barely enough mature individuals to sustain their colony. During this time, they are extremely vulnerable and easier to notice because of the agonizing elders. Losing half a dozen of members then is a fatal blow, dooming the group in the long term.
They feed on the Sphere's deep thoughts, latching on the unfathomably large mind to sustain themselves throughout their lives without requiring any other form of nourishment. Their lifespan is directly linked to the cycle of their Sphere, of which they can experience one fully but rarely more.
"On more than one account, Zklklkls are a mystery. But their most peculiar peculiarity is certainly their ability to turn the abstract concept of mind and thoughts into sustenance. Examination of their innards showed no anatomical differences with their close cousins Skrarrens or Zglizzens, save for a couple organs whose purpose eludes me. They may be key to uncover this enigma. I have to dig deeper, and surely I'll find the answers that I crave.
Higher minds, lower minds
Mind is a catch-all term to refer to the mental prowess of an individual, their ability to resist or impose their will on others. It is correlated with intelligence, but loosely. While mostly innate, some remarkable individuals are able to develop one through hardship and perseverance. Thus, higher minds are at the top of any social hierarchy, even the most egalitarian ones. They are elites: Spheriers, scholars and councillors, respected for their indomitable willpower and domination over the lesser minds.
This second category represents the bulk of the population. They are not weak, rather they are the normalcy opposed to the exceptional. The intricacies of the mind are impervious to the lesser minds, no matter how hard they try to make sense of it. This means they are unable to manipulate other's psyche, but worse yet they are utterly powerless against such attempts. Even the most resilient of them is vulnerable to some information that break their model of the world, as was demonstrated by the Genesis hatched from the End.
A question of diet
Mindraisers are not to be mistaken for their close cousins, the Zglizzens. Equally parasitic, the latter take shelter between the enormous teeth, or gills, of Spheres. Their metallic claws allow them to stay immobile and take advantage of the strong currents generated by their immense host. They feed on the prey captured by the Sphere, deducting an amount of flesh insignificant for the titanic being, but enough for them to eat once every three of their internal cycles.
Contrary to mindraisers, they undergo a consequent growth if the food is abundant enough, reaching twice the size of an adult shark by the end of their life. Some spherias harvest them for their flesh once they are ripe.
Keep an open mind
There are many ways to one's mind, but none better than direct access. A Sphere's interior exposes small tendrils looking like glowing anemona. When connected to by any appendage, it provides a link clearer than anything to the creature's inner psyche for who knows their way in. This is how mindraisers feed on their usual source, but Spheriers too have knowledge of these paths and set their housing in places with the most open channels.
Scholars surmise that every living being possesses these tendrils, although if the ratio is identical to that of Spheres they would be undetectable by the naked eye. Furthermore, it has proven difficult to actively look for the activity of one's mind as it means looking inside of them, leading to the death of the subject in most cases. The compatibility of mindraisers, whose only pathway to the mind is the cirri, with most species, is for some a key proof of their existence.
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