Cephalan

Insinsis who are attuned to scientific experimentation.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi

• Alignment: Paradoxical

• Energy: Possibility

• Lifespan: 1,000 years

• Diet: Nutritiously designed foods

• Habitat: Arctic tundra

Origins

Evolved from shemir who had moved southward and engaged in scientific research that involved the esoteric energy of possibility.

Description

Cephalans appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (bottle green, dark grey, dull blue, or light violet). They have fingers that are proportionately longer than one might expect from the size of their hands. They have hair on the fringes of their heads but not on top.

Procreation

Cephalans reproduce sexually with one another. They sometimes reproduce with other insinsis, where the species of the offspring follows that of the mother. Reproduction with any other species requires supernatural intervention.

Powers

Cephalans can hyperfocus on something and sense its molecular structure without seeing it. This innate sense is accessed by meditating on a thing for anywhere from 6.023 minutes to 6,023 minutes, depending on the size and molecular makeup of the object. Though they can do this from any age, they must be taught how to use the sense, and then they must be taught what they are sensing means. They do not have an innate understanding of molecular physics, chemistry, or periodic elements. Thus, they can see shapes and forms, but only understand them as they learn.

Experimentation

Cephalans are attuned to scientific experimentation because they have developed a special, circumstantial resistance - the inherent paradoxical energy of possibility within them ignites and protects them when they engage in earnest experimentation with the intent to learn something - and only with that intent. In other words, any experiment that is done with intent to benefit personally or to solve some tangential problem, they will not be protected. Only pure experimentation will work.

Weaknesses

Cephalans can be trapped in their own hyperfocus. Many are over-reliant on technology.

Nations

There are three cephalan nations:

• Algamaenean: Cassaran cephalans living in a city of glass.

• Galnoriean: cephalans living in a glass sky-city in the upper atmosphere.

• Nucharnean: subterranean cephalans living in a glass Hollow.

• Wzardean: subaquatic cephalans living in the polar ice of the north.

Culture

Algamaeneans are the original cephalan culture. They were originally a colony of shemir, but they evolved into a new species over many eons as they experimented with themselves. They eventually developed a unique society, a meritocracy based on scientific contributions. This society was conquered and exploited brutally many times before they realized they needed to defend their city. As such, they found themselves engaging in technological and social development with a purpose, and over time, they created a strange hodgepodge of a society in their glass city, Algamaen.

Algamaenean society is run by a parliament of elected officials, each one representing one of the major schools within the city. Each school is run by a council of representatives elected from the staff, faculty, students, and families. Faculty includes all teachers and researchers. Staff includes anyone whose work does not involve teaching or research. Students are those who are learning, including those in the role of teachers’ assistant or research assistant. And families are those who are family members of any of the other three groups but do not have a role otherwise. Each group is valued and respected, and a person may move between groups. There is some extra social credit given to faculty, especially those whose work is considered cutting edge or otherwise groundbreaking.

Children in Algamaen are raised by their immediate families, but students and extended family often assist. Children are allowed to develop on their own until they are old enough to be taught, usually starting school around the age of eight, though families teach them long before that, grounding them in basics such as reading and simple math. Children attend the school of their birthing parent unless there is an agreement otherwise, taking the basics of every science and complementary studies until the age of 14, at which time, they are tested for preferences. Though the tests are often presented as rigorous tests of knowledge, they are designed to test enthusiasm and engagement instead.

For the next six years, they attend a variety of classes designed to ascertain their aptitude. Students who are found to have both skill for and enjoyment of a specific science are encouraged to attend the appropriate schools. Those who fail are sent to remedial classes until they find somewhere that is the right fit. Those who opt out are given the chance to return at any time and provided with jobs.

The only reasons someone might be expelled are for violent crimes, theft of research, or treason to the city. An Algamaenean never stops being a student, even if they are not part of a school.

Algamaenean culture is as hyperfocused as they are. Their first love is science and study, research and learning. However, this has led to some singular explorations in music, visual arts, technical writing, and other arts and media that intersect neatly with sciences. They have invented architecture of incredibly complex design, all entirely out of multiple forms of glass. Their laboratories are wonders. Their food is constantly developing as technology and food sciences advance.

Schools

The schools of Algamaen are known throughout the world, though few outside the city are ever allowed in due to the aforementioned colonizations and need for defensive measures. The schools each focus on a different kind of science:

• School of Physics

• School of Biology

• School of Chemistry

• School of Logic

• School of Social Science

• School of Engineering

• School of Technology

• School of Medicine

The schools are named for the main scientific field they represent, but they all have courses on other sciences. Between them, all of the major and most of the minor fields of science are covered.

National Cultures

The other nations of cephalans are very similar, but they are more defined by their environments, as they all began as research stations:

• Galnoriean: the sky-city of Galnoriea is home to cephalans who focus on meteorology, astrophysics, space and sky travel, and aerodynamics, amongst other similar sciences. They create beautiful glass air- and spaceships, as well as their beautiful glass sky city.

• Nucharnean: the underground city in the Hollows known as Nucharn is made of thick, impenetrable glass and hard crystals. They are focused on geology, geothermal sciences, earth sciences in general, vulcanology, and other related sciences. They create incredible drills and mining equipment as well as sculptures and beautiful but obscure music.

• Wzardean: the underwater bubble-city of Wzard is encased in solid ice under the ocean. They study oceanography, hydrophysics, environmental sciences, and marine biology, as well as other related sciences. They create incredible tunnels in the ice and have glass submersibles. They create incredible aquariums and geometric design art.

Esoterica

Cephalans are beings of possibility and the world’s greatest wielders of it. They are also adept with complexity, vonzot, and flux, and they are fond of nommic energies as well. Other energies are not impossible, but they are very rarely studied or wielded.

Religion

Cephalans have no formal organized religion, but many burn a candle for Peírama, the metaphorical and metaphysical Divine experiment they say drives them.

Gender

Gender is an experiment that every cephalan conducts upon themself.

Economy

Algamaen is a socialist city-state.

Military

The Algamaenean military is a volunteer-based, independent force who use applied sciences to develop weapons, armor, and technology to defend the city-state. They come from every school and bring their specialties to the force. Most serve a four-year stint.

Language

Algamaenean isn’t based on anything, but Peírama is from Greek.

Trade

Algamaeneans trade various materials they produce, but this varies from era to era.

Occupations

Some common occupations include the following:

• Atomic Sapper: a nuclear soldier who specializes in breaking sieges.

• Autokrator: the head of a city-state.

• Esteror: a maker of esters.

• Glassweaver: one who makes things out of glass, everything from buildings to ships to windows.

• Hyperblader: a hypercyclist who uses laserblades in hand-to-hand combat.

• Hyperculinarian: one who applies hyperscience to food sciences.

• Hypercyclist: a warrior who rides a hypercycle and wields lasers.

• Hyperdesigner: a designer of computer games.

• Hyperdoctor: a hyperscience healer.

• Hyperknight: a hypercyclist who wears heavy glass armor.

• Hyperprofessor: one who uses education sciences.

• Hyperscholar: a library hyperscientist or archivist.

• Hyperscientist: generic term for any cephalan scientist using hyperscience for their field.

• Hyperstatistician: one who applies statistical hyperscience to gambling.

• Laboratory Handler: a kỹ thật viên, or hyperscience lab tech.

• Nuclear Soldier: a wielder of nuclear lasers.

• Parabotaner: one who applies hyperscience to botany.

• Paraflickerer: one who applies hyperscience to cinematography.

• Parahacker: a tigbungkag or hacker who uses hyperscience to cause trouble in computer systems.

• Paraneuroquisitor: one who researches the Puzzle of Thoughts.

• Parapharmacist: a hyperchemist who creates inebriants.

• Paraseeker: an investigator who uses hyperscientific methods to look for answers, usually as part of a community protection force or school committee.

• Stabula: a woman who engages sciences for the sake of women.

Outside View

Cephalans are seen as “mad scientists” by outsiders and therefore feared unless they are under the control of oppressor governments.

Notables

• Tin Erótisí Tis, Cephalan Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Algamaenean: 33,000

• Galnoriean: 3,000

• Nucharnean: 10,000

• Wzardean: 10,000

Sample Stats

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