Karangunnu

Living wheels floating in outer space.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Aliens

• Alignment: Ambrosial

• Energy: Edayilu

• Lifespan: 1,000 years

• Diet: Belief

• Habitat: Outer space

Origins

Unknown.

Description

Karangunnu appear to be spinning wheels made of stone and fire. They are covered in markings that are unlike any known language. They are usually about four fathoms in diameter (24’). Their outer rim is a stone cylinder about 3’ tall; the outer rim is connected to an inner rim about 6’ in, which is half the height of the outer rim. The rims are connected via tubular spokes about 6” in diameter. There are 18 spokes; they all meet in the center in a circular hub that is about 1’ in diameter. Where each spoke touches the outer rim there is a blazing sphere of multicolored flame.

Procreation

Karangunnu reproduce sexually by hovering over one another and exchanging flames. New karangunnu are formed out of those flames, growing from a hub into a massive wheel over centuries.

Powers

Karangunnu can fly through outer space at faster-than-light speeds; within even a light atmosphere, they slow down vastly, moving only about the speed of sound. They can sense intelligent life over vast distances. Their flames can grant powers to those who have faith in them.

Faith Powers

They are sustained by belief. They require vast amounts of belief in order to survive, and therefore, they travel across the universe, appearing in the sky above various civilizations briefly in order to inspire belief in them as mysterious and powerful beings. Essentially, they appear as UFOs and convince people to worship them by hurling their flames down and giving special powers and visions to mortals.

Bandham Powers

Bandhams are the mortals given a bit of flame from the karangunnu. Common powers that they are given include the following:

• Supernatural speed

• Farsight

• Flight

• Control of flame

• Glamour

• Charismatic voice

• Petrifying gaze

These powers are often granted along with a compulsion to use them in service to getting others to worship the karangunnu.

Weaknesses

Blasphemy will make them crumble.

Nations

Across the universe there are countless cultures who worship the karangunnu, but on Shem, there is only one - the Enne Uyarthuka. They dwell in northwestern Vimala. These are mortals of various species, but they worship a group of karangunnu who fly through the area about once every 100 years.

Culture and Religion

The Enne Uyarthuka nation is made up mostly of animal folk, dantakatha, humans and metahumans (especially taala), nagas, and some naat, jingshen, diwatas, and other nearby spirit folk. They are a nation synonymous to their faith, called Vruthamism, which is the belief in the karangunnu as messengers to Shem from another realm.

They believe that the karangunnu will one day come and take them to a higher plane of existence, and they spend their days living out variations of a set of beliefs that guide them. These beliefs evolve over generations and change as different figures appear to influence them. The common variables are that the karangunnu are higher beings, that one may be one day carried off by them if one lives a life that honors the circular nature of existence, and that the universe can be explained by geometry.

Their communities are led by chuzhalikkaattu, gurus who lead their faith, and vruthaakrithiyilulla, artisans who make wheels that resemble the karangunnu. These wheels will have a piece of flame from the karangunnu that allows it to float or fly, fueled by the user’s belief. If a karangunnu gives their flame to someone, that person is honored above even the chuzhalikkaatu and is called a bandham, or agent, who has special powers and visions.

The word of a bandham is considered a direct message from the karangunnu. This is often abused and has resulted in a warping of the culture over the centuries. Other bandhams try to correct these deviations.

The karangunnu themselves do not speak; they communicate entirely through the bandhams if they wish to speak to mortals. Communication amongst themselves is done through movement - they speak via spinning patterns. Their communities are small “pods” that travel through space together, buzzing planets and pausing only to interact with their believers, feeding off the worship quickly, then moving on. If they find that worshipers have declined on a specific world, they will spend a little more time there to foster a renewal of faith.

Esoterica

Karangunnu are beings of edayilu, energy from faith in non-Divine beings (i.e., themselves). They themselves may wield almost any esoteric energy other than blasphemy, assuming they have the physical properties required to do so. They can wield mijjit but not humors.

Gender

Karangunnu have no gender. The Enne Uyarthuka believe gender is circular; they are born a specific gender, change genders as they grow, and end as the one they were born as.

Economy

The Enne Uyarthuka economy is that of the broader economy, usually feudal or slave-based, but within the faith there is a drive to less materialistic practices.

Military

The Enne Uyarthuka have among them special bandham known as arakkavaalu who wield burning blades on chains, which they spin around in violent circles. The karangunnu have no specific warriors, but if pressed to fight will use their flame and massive bodies to burn and crush.

Language

The language of the Enne Uyarthuka is based on Malayalam.

Occupations

The karagunnu have no specific occupations. The Enne Uyarthuka have the bandhams, chuzhalikkaattu, vruthaakrithiyilulla, and arakkavaalu.

Outside View

Most people believe the karangunnu are nothing but wild stories told by kooks.

Notables

• Jvalippikkuka, Karangunnu Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

No one knows how many karangunnu exist in the universe. About 30 visit Shem regularly. There are about 100,000 people in the Enne Uyarthuka nation.

Sample Stats

PRO 19
ATH 300 In Space Infinite
STR 100
AWA 75
WIL 75
PRS 75
STH 1