The species of ruling gods on this planet were called the True Radiants. According to the rules in the Fourth Star Ring, only species that had produced a True God could be honored by adding “True” to their name.1

The memories of the butterfly god indicated that the True Radiants didn’t just rule this one planet. Thēy actually controlled the entire nebula, as well as a few nearby universes. Originally speaking, that should have lasted forever. After all, a True God that died could come back. So unless another True God came along to disrupt the balance, nothing would change.2

But something unexpected ended up happening to the species. Thēir True God had perished some years earlier and had never returned.... The consequences of that situation slowly manifested as the True Radiants lacked the power to control all the species in the area thēy controlled. Gradually, thēir territory shrank, until only a dozen or so planets would heed thēir recruitment calls.0

It wasn’t very common for True Gods to fail to return, but it also wasn’t unheard of. Normally speaking, it meant that thēy had suffered...0