this power
this power
this power
aka: DarkFlora, "gyre", "gyre dreams", "jelly" i.e. "the jelly of your defeat", "there is no jelly in your defeat", etc

the gyre is
accelerated by
1) the dance|fight of [souls]|strains of disease competing with each other
1) [REDACTED]
1) dance movements
or 1) areas of torture, child trafficking, etc
(a reason why xrafstar empires favor torture?
is this symptom intended to accelerate transmission of itself and increase mutation?
individual xrafstar are not inherently sadistic, so perhaps the diseases that reach the critical mass of empire are those which are ruthless enough to reproduce to that level. someone with a gentler syndrome is less likely to spread it.)

mythology is simply the oldest taxonomy of diseases.

gyre requires life to carry it, starting at the smallest level. it becomes part of bacteria and other microorganisms.

it can be found in insects (crushed, eaten, or infesting. pinworms thriving in your guts are stronger than a crushed beetle in your hand. intestines can become a DarkFlora colony/reservoir, a record or bank of diseaseforms or pathomorphs)

icosahedral (a spherical shape of 20 triangles) particles are the most efficient transmission form for the gyre, giving a paracrystal sheen to materials like the lipstick, or its living hosts. beware iridescence!

it may also manifest as ultraviolet patterns, visible to those who are already contaminated.

INNOCENT's campaign of pesticides, antihelminthics, etc is partially to reduce exposure to gyre. but they also experiment heavily with it, both through the scouting program and highly guarded medical compounds|"UV sites". the atoll is an ideal location because it has a "loose" population of children, young adults, and drifters, and it can be easily quarantined.

those with congenital issues or "birth damage" or other abnormalities have a higher susceptibility to gyre, perhaps because of their weaker|"more inviting" immune systems. xrafstar are regarded as the result of gyre exposure.

gyre is amplified by certain hand movements or "dance".
INNOCENT scouts and agents are taught prophylactic gestures, which exist mostly as superstition or were integrated into orthodox religious iconography.

many of the missions archives/stories of the xrafstarverse can be elucidated through this lens, but it is important to understand that so little is known or can be known.