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| Species | Episkopoan |
| Order | Gondal |
| Classification | Demihuman |
| Family | Solid |
| Sphere | Wisdom |
| Origin | The Chess Cycle made them from a bishop chess piece |
| Lifespan | 200 years |
| Habitat | Underground |
| Food | Metal |
| Description | Episkopoans have sleek bodies that seem to be made of finest jade, ivory, ebony, or some other rare or fine stone. They are completely hairless. Their bodies are more angular than other gondals, but they still have elongated heads and fingers. They tend to be slightly heavier than other gondals, but they still have relatively thin frames. They wear very few clothes. |
| Procreation | With each other, it follows the mother. With other demihumans, humans, and pseudohumans, it varies, but mixed nations are very rare. |
| Esoterica | Episkopoans are primarily beings of long path radiance and mashoaab. They also wield other forms of shebv heya, radiance, and many forms of poioumenon as well. Flux and psionic energies are also common. |
| Accumulation | Episkopoans phase through stone and absorb metals, which they convert to long path radiance and mashoaab. Most of it is long path, and they must release excess through stringent exercises. They can also give it to another episkopoan, usually one who needs it. By the age of 100, they usually become able to accumulate without needing to release. At this time, they begin a process of meditation down the Long Path. |
| Special Powers | Episkopoans can see in the dark and are resistant to low and high temperatures. They have nearly 360 peripheral vision. They have some psionic powers. |
| Weaknesses | Msawhat harms them. |
| Culture | Episkopoans value experience. In their societies, the ones with the most experience leading become leaders. Those with the most experience mining are miners. Those with the most experience raising children raise the children. Thus, the older one is, usually, the more responsibilities one gains. Children are encouraged to try as many things as possible, finding what they excel at, and then encouraged to keep at what they're good at. Through this process, they usually find a specialization by adulthood; those who don't simply keep trying. Schools, trainings, seminars, discussions, etc. are all made available for everyone, especially children. Their communities are small, localized, usually led by an elder. These communities all send representatives to a massive parliament, which makes the laws and runs the whole country. There is no executive leadership on a nationwide scale. Episkopoans have a worker-led economy where collectives have major influence on trade, production, and other decisions. Episkopoan children are raised by the caretakers in their communities, usually elderly episkopoans and younger ones learning how to be caretakers, but it is usually very loose and hands off. Children are allowed to grow and learn at their own pace and direction. By the time they are adults (20 years old), they join a collective or strike out on their own. Either path is respected. Almost all episkopoans end up in a collective eventually because of the security and support they provide. Diversity of gender and sexuality is respected by episkopoans. Children are allowed to declare their own gender in their own time (and change as needed); none are assigned at birth. Episkopoan relationships are usually long-term but non-monogamous, though long-term monogamous relationships are not unheard of. When episkopoans reach the stage where they can accumulate without needing release, they often retire to a meditation center where they engage in a collective engagement with the Long Path, the collective experience of all beings. This usually lasts for a few decades before they re-engage with society, wiser and more powerful than before. |
| Notables | |
| Sample statistics | PRO 7 ATH 8 STR 10 AWA 14 WIL 10 ROG 8 Faze 8 Absorb 8 |
GrandGuignol
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