Unaligned Metahumans

Magical humans with inherent unaligned powers.

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Dhanu

Metahumans with magical bonds via social connections.

• Lifespan : 120 years
• Diet: Common mortal fare
• Habitat: Anywhere
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Dhanu are empathic metahumans who form deep magical bonds via social connections with others. They appear to be human except that they have irises of different colors than white.

Every dhanu has empathic senses - if they are within 20' of someone, they can know what they are feeling, though the more people within that range, the harder it is to understand individual feelings. They can dampen this sense by putting their hands over their heart.

If a dhanu forms a social connection with someone, they form a magical bond with them that allows them sense them at a greater range, to send them emotional messages, and/or to influence their feelings. The deeper the connection, the more they can do with their bond, and the further they can use it. Not all bonds are positive. Some examples include the following:

• Acquaintance: someone they know the name of and have talked to before; a very weak connection that they can barely use.
• Friend: friendships vary in strength based on closeness or intimacy, but most allow for fairly potent range and influence. Close friends are some of the most potent connections they can form.
• Lover: lovers can also vary in strength based on closeness or intimacy, but any long-term partner will bring extremely strong connections and great range.
• Parent/Child: the parental bond forms instantly upon birth; parents can sense their children anywhere in the world if they care for them and vice versa. Neglectful parents can sever their bonds, which can be very traumatic for their children. Abusive parents form a negative bond that only goes one way.
• Coworker/Comrade/Fellow student: people who work together on something often form a moderate bond.
• Mentor: a mentor can form a strong bond that is less than a loving parent but more than a coworker or sometimes more than friends.
• Boss: someone who exploits or controls a dhanu in a business setting may form a bond with a dhanu that allows the dhanu to defend themself - such as knowing when they are approaching or need to work harder, etc.
• Owner: if a dhanu is owned as a slave, their bond with their owner can become a defensive one.
• Enemy: if a dhanu has an enemy, their bond can become a defensive one.
• Victim: if a dhanu abuses or attacks someone, they form a bond equal to their harm they have done or the emotional content of their attack or the victim's feelings on the matter that can either be a warning system for the victim or something that allows the dhanu to seek their target.

Dhanu come from a southern continent originally, and their culture was one of communal support and complex connections. Their social structure was designed to empower each individual in different ways, forming a community that had reasonable boundaries but also special strength from their magical bonds.

Those who come to the imperial lands mostly come as slaves or desperate immigrants. Those who are free live in poverty, facing discrimination as "ungrateful" and "creepy". They work mostly as servants or in factory jobs, and they try to maintain some semblance of the cuisine, music, and traditions of their homeland if they can.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 8 AWA 9 Empathy 11 WIL 8 PRS 9 STH 8

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Dongxue

Subterranean metahumans.

• Lifespan: 120 years
• Diet: Subterranean fare
• Habitat: Underground
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed or oppressed

Dòngxué are human-like beings with skin like smooth, flexible stone, in all the colors of stone possible. Their eyes are deep brown orbs with no iris or pupils. They are hairless.

Dòngxué are stronger than they appear. They are also able to endure for longer than average doing hard labor. They are resistant to extreme cold or heat. The skin of a dòngxué is as tough as the stone it resembles, but it remains flexible.

Every dòngxué who reaches maturity has the ability to smell menab'e and metal ore. Dòngxué have the ability to know their location in caves and tunnels through heightened awareness. They can see in the lowest light, and they have excellent hearing.

Dòngxué can breathe in stone dust. They have special sections in their lungs to hold it, and as they rest, they breathe it out in a fine mist. If they choose, while awake, they can breathe it out and cause organic matter to petrify.

The original dòngxué escaped war and strife by fleeing underground, and there they formed ad hoc societies that developed over generations into two major nations of subterranean humans. These first explorers of the wilderness of the subterra lived in desperate groups just trying to survive, but after they settled, they developed into tribes. Slowly but surely they built a complex society of circular stone temples with great spires in the middle, cities built along rivers and lakes, and beautiful tunnel-complexes. They are called the Hǎorén.

Hǎorén wear little clothing, preferring loincloths and little else. They engage in body-piercing, especially the ears, nose, lips, arms, legs, sides, backs, and even necks. Most piercings are ornamental, but a handful have special meaning: a neck-piercing along the left side is received when one comes of age, a piercing of the lower back is given as a reward for excellence and bravery in combat, a piercing of the septum is done when one has their first child, a piercing of the upper part of the right ear is done as a wedding gift. Different metals and jewels are used. None of these represent status, but rather, personal style. Some choose to ornament themselves only with one kind of jewel or metal, or with specific designs, or with special combinations of color and size, and so on. Often they have personal meaning.

They often wear very little clothing and engage in many body piercings. Music is very popular among the Hǎorén, and they prefer to play in the tunnels to incorporate echoes into their songs. Every year, communities near to each other gather for special performances to mark the turning of the year and remembrance of their times above. (They mark time based on the surface-calendars using a counting system.) They also engage in numerous sports, mostly revolving around endurance, strength, and precision.

Some among them sought a different way. These were the the Lǎobǎnrén. They were more war-like at first, but quickly, they discovered the magical forms of exploitation, which converted the energies within them into something that gave them power more quickly. They began to enslave and exploit weaker or less resourceful dòngxué and mortals of other species, including the living metal beings from lower layers and more. They began using others to work their mines, gather their food, fight in their armies, all while they reaped the benefits. Their nation, though small, gained enormous esoteric power and wealth, which they used to entice others to serve them.

Lǎobǎnrén have few customs they have not appropriated from those they exploit. They live in lavish buildings with gilded splendor, engage only in sports and games that bring them prestige among their peers (this changes with the fashions of the times), and eat vast feasts on a regular basis. Their food is always the rarest and most expensive; it is always about what they must spend on it, not the actual taste or nutritional value.

Lǎobǎnrén rule an empire below ground that is allied with Endruin. They are the elite ruling nation, but other species and beings live there as subjects, including the living iron peoples. It is a massive feudal empire with a powerful landlord class, massive armies, and violent patriarchal customs.

Those who come to the imperial lands are either Hǎorén, who are enslaved or low-ranking laborers, or Lǎobǎnrén, who come and live in luxury.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 10 Toughness 12 AWA 8 Underground senses 9 WIL 8 PRS 8 STH 8

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Mutumwa

Metahumans who move with inmortal speed.

• Lifespan : 60-90 years

• Diet: High-carb mortal fare

• Habitat: Savanna and arid plateaus

• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed

Mutumwa appear to be taller than the average human with features that they can change if they build up enough energy through movement.

Mutumwa are very fast and very athletic. Their bodies are very agile and lithe.

Every movement a kzuhmahla makes sparks the momentum within them, generating more. The more they move, the faster they move, the more momentum builds up, and the more they can draw from. If they use momentum in any way, it does not build more momentum - only natural movement generates it - but it allows them to do one of three things: alter their own physical forms, move with incredible speed, or draw matter toward them.

Shapeshifting is limited to stretching, elongating, or altering their bodies to be taller, shorter, or otherwise distorted. They cannot generate new organs, heal, or alter themselves with the complexity that shapeshifters do; their shifting is a reaction to movement.

Speed is the most potent and common use of their momentum. They can use their energy to increase their speed in small amounts for small movements, or for massive bursts. The more energy used, the faster they go. The fastest a kzuhmahla has ever achieved is ten times the speed of sound; this killed the kzuhmahla in question. Usually they stop short of the speed of sound, but they go much faster than any other mortal outside of dragons or energy beings.

Drawing matter towards them is rarer, and this is done by spinning. Some say they are creating their own gravity, but this is not the case. It’s just magic. The amount of matter they can draw is equal to the amount of energy they expend.

Being bound in one place will traumatize a kzuhmahla.

The original nation of mutumwa are nomadic. They live in communities made up of 30-40 families. Each family has a patriarch who is part of a council that leads the tribe. The patriarch of each family is in charge of the family's herds, warriors, and other resources, determining how much is shared with whom.

Every tribe has wagons equal to triple the number of families. Wagon teams are led by a head wagoneer. For every three wagons, there is a warrior who protects them, walking alongside. There are two kinds of wagons: ones for carrying people and ones for carrying materials. The latter are large, long wagons covered in buffalo-hide tarps. The former are shorter in length, but taller, and they have special compartments for sleeping. Most of the tribe walks, but children, the infirm, elderly, and those necessary to watch over the children ride in the wagons. There are also spaces on the wagons for those who simply need to rest for part of the journey; however, they take pride in their ability to walk for miles and miles.

They do not equate biology with gender. Gender roles are fluid and have more to do with social interactions than work. Work is determined by what one can do.

There is no such thing as marriage among them. Instead, they have "walking together." This is understood to be temporary; those who remain walking together for the rest of their lives are rare and considered odd. While two people are walking together, they are considered part of both families. Their children are only part of the family of the birthing parent, however. Children are raised by their families, which include all generations, and by the non-birthing parent (if known). When the walking together ends, however, the non-birthing parent has no say or rights to the child. They may still maintain a positive relationship with them, but they will not be considered family at that time.

They are looked down upon often, with the common stereotype being that they are always running from something, thus they are cowards. If they join other cultures or societies, they are usually an oppressed nation, discriminated against heavily and considered uncivilized or uncouth. They are often exploited as slaves or workers where swiftness or endurance is a benefit, including as athletes. They find the latter especially offensive, as running competitions are part of their religion, not entertainment.

PRO 9 ATH 19 STR 8 AWA 9 WIL 8 PRS 7 STH 9

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Oeonae

Humans whose belief in dreams is manifest.

• Lifespan: 70-120 years
• Diet: Oats and marsh bird eggs
• Habitat: Marshy islands
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

The oeonae appear to be olive-skinned humans with brown, curly hair. Culturally, they wear light, loose clothing.

Oeonae believe in dreams. They believe they are real, and thus, they are able to manifest them into reality. This makes their island homes very unpredictable. They only eat oats and the eggs of marsh birds, which live on their islands.

Oeonae live in a small community on a few small islands just outside the lands of the White Crown. They have complex beliefs in the power of dreams and the truth of them, which is central to their culture. They know nothing of and have no interest in gods or semi-Divine beings. Even in imperial societies, they cannot fathom anything is more than a manifestation of dreams.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 8 AWA 9 WIL 11 PRS 9 STH 8

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Shapeshifter

Metahumans whose bodies can be altered at will.

• Lifespan : 70-120 years

• Diet: High-protein mortal diet

• Habitat: Tropical rain forests

• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed

Shapeshifters are average-sized metahumans who can alter their bodies.

The entire body of a shapeshifter is infused with the energy flux, a paradoxical power that causes things to change. They have an innate, instinctive ability to control their bodies and alter their forms. Because their powers are rooted in their bodies, they cannot alter their mass; if they make themselves taller, they must lose mass elsewhere, for instance. Changing the color of their skin, hair, or eyes is simple. Changing the color of their blood is even possible. If they lengthen their hair or create more blood, it is at the expense of other parts of themselves. They can alter their muscles in shape, and in some ways can strengthen them by doing so, but they cannot add muscle mass without sacrificing something else. Cosmetic dermal changes are the easiest.

If they create a new organ or feature, it will take away from another part of themselves; for instance, if they give themselves a third eye or arm, they will need to get the mass for that from another body part. However, they can create new parts that function, so long as that part can exist without greatly altering the energies within themselves. For instance, they can grow a working third eye, but it will not have supernatural powers beyond being a working third eye.

Because their shifting is bodily, they can heal themselves through it. This can be as simple as closing a wound or re-connecting bones, or as complicated as shifting cancer cells into other kinds of cells. This requires knowledge on their part of how things need to be within them. Wounds and bones are relatively easy; cancer and other diseases are much more difficult. Because wounds and injuries can make it difficult to concentrate, focus, or otherwise do things, it is not always easy to heal serious wounds via shifting. Shifting significant changes takes time, and it is likely that a large, mortal wound will bleed out a shapeshifter before they can fix it.

The more complex a body part is, the harder it is to safely shift. It is easy to change the shape of the brain or the heart, but it is very difficult to do so without dying or causing permanent damage. However, extremely skilled and knowledgeable shapeshifters can shift complex organs to get different effects (altering the brain to improve serotonin reuptake, correcting heart murmurs, removing clots from blood vessels, slowing the release of hormones).

Certain shifts, such as elongation of limbs, are used commonly in very brief bursts, while others, such as altering one’s internal organs may be done for a long-term effect.

Besides their shapeshifting powers, shapeshifters have the ability to intuit changes to the environment around them, such as upcoming weather.

Being bound into a single shape or form will cause them intense trauma.

Amongst the original shapeshifters, there is no concept of a perfect or ideal body, of any kind of body image. Bodies are malleable and fluid, and how a person shapes their body tells you about them, but never the whole story. The different tribes of the Fanoese who still have their own communities have customs about what kind of body they take at what stages of their lives, but those integrated into broader society are more individualized. The more remote tribes in the deep forests recognize each other by the different shapes they take - those who have webbed hands and feet, those who have glider-like skin flaps, those with curly hair and yellow eyes, those who have camouflaged skin, etc. Those in cities do have some family traditions about different shapes they might take, but these are less rigid.

Their music and art reflects their own bodily fluidity. They create jewelry that can move with them. They rarely paint themselves as distinct figures, using more abstract forms instead. They make music that is designed to connect to other pieces of music in their culture, such that among their tribes, they think of all songs as one song. Poetry is preferred to prose, and their poems are often brief odes to one another or to historical figures. This reflects their language, which is economical and metaphorical.

In the imperial lands, many are brought as slaves or indentured servants, and many are brought as hired agents for their abilities. Others come seeking opportunity or refuge.

Because their bodies are so malleable, the idea of matching gender to biology has never been relevant to them. In their own tribes, there are no genders or pronouns; people are simply people. In their original culture, when they go to other cultures, they are taught from an early age that whatever gender they feel they are, it is important to pick a form that matches expectations for that gender in the societies they are in. If the larger society they are in does not have a gender that fits them, they are encouraged to pick one that is close so that they do not get ostracized. Some rebel and find ways to be themselves, while others conform.

Because they have such control over their bodies, shapeshifters view sexual intercourse as something sacred and complex, and it is encouraged in their own tribes. It is not viewed as something forbidden or taboo except in cases of incest or involving children or a lack of consent. It is done openly or privately, and in the course of it, their bodies are known to distort and reshape for the pleasure and interest of those involved. In broader society, they again conform to societal norms, sharing their bodily fluidity with their partners only if they trust them or if they are other shapeshifters.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 8 AWA 8 WIL 8 PRS 9 STH 9