Wyrm

One of the three entities collectively known as The Triat in the White Wolf game Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The Wyrm is the entity of corruption that is bent on destroying Gaia. The Wyrm was originally the force of balance in the world, but it was corrupted by The Weaver, another member of The Triat. The Wyrm is directly opposed to the Garou, who are the protectors of Gaia. A large, multi-national corporation, known as Pentex, consorts with the The Wyrm and provide much of the physical force for The Wyrm.

Wyrm is also a term used sometimes to refer to older (usually dangerous) dragons.

Archaic. Often interchanged for 'dragon' although the connotations are radically different.

People think of dragons as grand, fierce, mystical, majestic creatures. You say 'dragon' and there is an awe inherent in the word.

This impression is not correct, for 'wyrm'. Wyrm is the more archaic version, both in language and in meaning. A *wyrm* is definitely a reptilian beast, in form dragon-like, but there the resemblance stops. Dragons are fire's creatures. A wyrm, if one were to involve elemental theory, is really more of an earth creature. Like the oriental dragons are water's creatures, the wyrm is of a more earthy nature. Yes, some are fire breathing, some are winged (really making them elemental spirits, interchangeable... all elements connect... but I digress...) but they are of an earth-mind.

They are lanky creatures and prefer to be protected by their scales and their hiding, than to fight. Creeping, misunderstood creatures they are, hiding and lurking. They are not 'of this earth' but of something older, something ancient perhaps older than time itself. There is an innate *nobility* and an AMAZING *wisdom* that comes from years and years... but they are misunderstood, hunted and destroyed when all they want is to be left alone to *exist* peacefully, hidden away.

Wyrm: the Novel.

By Mark Fabi. (Has he written anything else?)

If this book is like Neal Stephenson, only somewhat less so, I need some Neal Stephenson. Wyrm is an hilarious techno-thriller packed with transparent allegory, obscure allusions, and bizarre hacker humour.

I'll not try to summarise the plot here, but:

See also: Role-playing games, AI, mythology, John Galt, Knights of the Lambda Calculus, Ourobouros, MUD, noble rot, semantic network, bicameral mind, virus, world domination, recursive acronym (Wyrm Yields Recursive Monster), and hacker.