Glossary

Also known as the Echo or Remnant, the Husk is the body of Ouroboros that forms the Sourcering around each universe (see: Omnicosm). The Husk contains the remnant consciousness of Ouroboros before it departed from the Universe and can be communicated with freely from any location by the Firstborns (who call it the Echo) and by those who complete the Quest of the Querent. The Husk steadily decays as the Universe itself ages, creating both Oort and weaknesses in the Sourcering (see: Sourcegate), which are dealt with by the Order of the Origin.

While Ouroboros is technically omnipresent and omniscient, the latter only refers to the Husk and the consciousness it left behind; it is not truly present in the Universe any longer. Likewise, its omniscience cannot account for its absence from the Universe, and thus its knowledge is stagnant. Think of it like this: You know each and every book that might be written, but you can never know which books were actually written nor exactly how they were written because you are not here to see them. Thus, It is completely possible for Querents to receive an a non-answer, a non-prophetic answer, or simply a wrong answer altogether—all of which are considered a high honor to hear.

The Firstborns, on the other hand, are much more accurate oracles, as they are both direct derivatives of Ouroboros (thus sharing in an amount of its powers) and actually present in the Universe. However, the most this does is reduce the number of strings they have to sift through; there is no such thing as a set fate for anything or anyone in the Omnicosm.

Finally, part of a Reaper's job is to escort the newfound knowledge of a deceased Starlyng to the Husk so that it may be transported to and absorbed by Ouroboros's main consciousness.