Mesecina

Daughters of peace.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Akhoata

• Taxonomic Family: Phryscarans

• Alignment: Celestial

• Energy: Iremia

• Lifespan: 300 years

• Diet: Fruitarian lunar fare

• Habitat: Lunar maria

Origins

Formed from the complete peace of the lunar maria, descended from Phryscara, daughte rof Mother Shem.

Description

Mesecinae are female-assigned people with pale greenish skin. They have diaphanous wing-flaps under their arms that can help them drift down from heights, which they use to explore craters.

Procreation

Mesecinae reproduce with the male-assigned members of any sexual species that has male-assgned members, always producing mesecina children, except when reproducing with enders.

Powers

Mesecina have the power to look into someone’s eyes and make them unable to engage in any kind of physical attack. Their voices are very soothing to any one experiencing anger, rage, or some other intense, violent emotion. Their wing-flaps allow them to float. It is difficult for shebvic energies to affect them.

As they dwell on the moons, they can survive in light-atmospheres and resist the cold.

Specific Powers

Individual mesecinae develop powers based on whether or not they have ever engaged in violence. The longer they go without any kind of direct violence, they become more and more attuned the quiet of the universe. This gives them the ability to sense events far from themselves.

Weaknesses

D’qiarsea and baleblood hurt them.

Nations

There are three nations of mesecinae:

• Belosestra: the peaceful sisters of the White Moon.

• Sivosestra: the wild sisters of the Grey Moon.

• Zelenasestra: the strange sisters of the Green Moon.

Culture

Mesecina culture originated with the Belosestra nation on the White Moon, amongst the lunar maria, where they dwell in cities carved into the sides of craters. They are descended of Phryscara, a daughter of Shem, who charged the original mesecinae with protecting the peace of the beautiful maria they dwelled upon.

Each city is run by an elected council of elders. The cities each have a main public square terraced into the side of the crater (and many smaller ones), a special fountain of flowing lunar ice, three special observer towers, a network of libraries, schools, and hospitals, a spaceport, and a main hall where public business is done. Each of these plays a special purpose in their societies. The squares are where people gather for trading, sorting out disagreements, and social engagements. The fountains are where they go for commitment ceremonies and other moments requiring formal celebration. The observation towers are there for gazing into space and studying the stars. The libraries, schools, and hospitals are there to serve and are free for everyone, even strangers. The spaceports are major hubs for nations that do not wish to or are unable to dock with athak ports. And the main hall is where governance happens. Each of their cities has these features.

Other than the elected council, there are many other elected roles in each city, including judges and planners. Elections happen regularly, and every neighborhood has its own councils to keep peace. Members of neighborhood councils can be any adult, but the ruling council must be elders. There are no police or military, save for a small force of guards and watchwomen on the city walls. The commonest roles, other than those running the main features of the city, are caretakers, builders, repairwomen, animal handlers, cleaners, weavers, potters, scholars, and especially gatherers known as nabiralci (sing. nabiralec).

The gatherers are those who find the fruit and fungi that are food to the belesestre. They mix these rare fruits and fungi with lunar ice, but it's not necessary. They cultivate fields in the lunar maria, craters, and mountains where they find mineral deposits that nurture the rare lunar plants and fungi. The nabiralci are recognizable for their small rock hammers and picks, heavy gloves, aprons, baskets, and masks. Their fields are considered public property and controlled by the city councils.

The animal handlers have special steeds known as konji. The konji appear to be sleek, scaled three-legged horses that are used as pack animals, draft animals, and riding animals.

Belosestra children are raised by their extended families. Orphans or unwanted children are raised by neighborhood caretakers if no extended family is available. They start school at the age of nine and graduate by the age of 20 with a specialization they usually choose around the age of 18. Those who need further training (healers, builders, etc.) go to special schools for a few more years. Once graduated, they are considered full adults and can vote. Every occupation has a union, and all unions have elected representatives.

The only part of a Belosestra city that isn't fully unionized and controlled by the city council is the spaceport, which has to have private enterprises held by foreign powers due to old treaties. All of these are subject to tariffs from the city council. The spaceports are well-guarded and complicated economically, but they are crucial to trade with the other mesecinae nations, which is an important part of the Belosestra culture.

Arts and music flourish in Belosestra cities when there is no threat to them. Everyone partakes in different arts, music, entertainment, and theatricals. They love to share what they create, encourage each other to learn and create, and generally make it a major part of every day life. The public squares are filled with people's art. Games are also commonly played, with neighborhood teams forming and shifting constantly.

Because they rely upon other species to reproduce, they often have non-mesecinae among them. These are required to adapt to their culture or they will be asked to leave.

National Cultures

The other mesecinae nations have similar cultures:

• Sivosestra: they live in matriarchal bands that do not have the technological advancement or socialist economy, but rather primal communalism. They are gatherers who dwell on the Grey Moon in the mountains, where they have some connection with the surori, whom they honor as friends.

• Zelenasestra: they live in the forests on the Green Moon. Their pacificism has made them victims to colonials there.

Esoterica

Mesecinae are beings of iremia and the original wielders of the powers of peace. Their pax riders ride konji from city to city, community to community, and carry peace with them. They are also known to wield aemoa, lunar aether, the bright, true shadow, arcane shadow, tutelary energy, juaih, hegnh, ujjval aatma, waarheid, yahas, banaru, curacion, dumaqu, celeste water, holy virtue, ethereal essence, ayase, qeernariji, complexity, possibility, euskepsia, euphony, euphoria, euergasia, euphotonia, nzwara murazvo, kutsegula, kor, mana, and poioumenon. Anumun is rare in all cultures, but they use it more often than others. They almost never use shebvic or infernal powers. Tenyocan, lhair, and liberation power are also rare among them.

Religion

The religion of the mesecinae is the worship of Mirno Mesto, whom they view as a state of being as much as an individual Divine. The name translates to “peaceful place”, which the consider the embodiment of the peacefulness of the lunar maria. Their religious structures are all considered optional in their society; many of them turn to worship of the moons, of ancestors (including Phryscara and Mother Shem), or of mother Shem directly. Religion is taught in their schools as one philosophy among many.

The main worship of Mirno Mesto is led by the iereia, the priestesses, who channel the peace of Mirno Mesto and share it. Some among the populace find themselves overwhelmed by Divine peace. They are called napolnjena, and their words are heeded by all. Some priestesses leave for cloistered communities - these are called osamljen, and they are often tasked with finding perfect inner peace. Others are called to preach among the population; they are called ierokiryrkas.

Some worship Mirno Mesto in other ways - the objajilo commune with the elementals of the lunar maria and bond to it, while mislec are known for their meditative practices and guidance.

Gender

All mesecinae are assumed to be women at birth. They are allowed to choose different genders as they grow up, however, and change at any time. They recognize any gender a person claims, though their legal documentation remains female-oriented. Among them, marriage is allowed between any non-related, consensual partners (and between multiple partners as well). Sexual relations are casual, and fatherhood is an unknown concept.

Economy

All property among the Belosestra is communal except some businesses at the spaceport, usually run by beings of other species, which are allowed to be private due to old treaties with other countries. Their cities are all socialist.

Military

Mesecinae are beings of peace, and therefore, warriors are unknown among them. They have defenders - those who will place their bodies between violence and others - and they have those whose powers create peace and calm. These are their version of the military, and this protection is so potent that they have risen up from slavery to become their own independent nation-state.

Language

Their language is based on Slovenian.

Trade

They trade with other countries, mostly at their spaceports, usually trading common crafts, cloth, and food.

Occupations

Common occupations:

• Čistilci: cleaners.

• Deeskalirajte: one who heals emotions to keep the peace.

• Glasbenica: singers

• Gradbeniki: builders.

• Içinde: pangender monks who focus on inner peace.

• Igralec: games maker who use games to soothe children.

• Katharistis: fullers who fill cloth with peace

• Lončarji: potters.

• Nabiralec: gatherers who find fruit and fungi for the community to eat.

• Oskrbniki: caretakers.

• Pax Rider: those who carry messages of peace in order to protect communities.

• Pesnica: aqyns who praise heroes of peace from their history.

• Pisar: keeper of accords.

• Popravljalke: repairwomen.

• Reševalec: pax riders who retire to investigate the Puzzle of Hearts, a magical puzzle that is said to contain all possible emotion as a part of the Book of Names.

• Šaljivec: those who keep peace with japes and stories, a special kind of fool.

• Skrbniki živali: animal handlers.

• Sodnik: judges.

• Starešina: elders.

• Stražar: guards who throw themselves between common folk and violence.

• Tkalci: weavers.

• Učenjaki: scholars.

• Vrtnar: those who keep contemplation gardens.

• Yperaspistis: those who make special armor to protect from attack.

• Zvocznik: journalists.

Outside View

Mesecinae are seen as inferior because of their rejection of war. They are considered another “witch race”, often considered to be evil, and they are loathed in many class societies. It is claimed that they enslave those who dwell with them because they enforce peace.

Notables

• Prvasestra, Mesecina Manifest, First Sister, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Belosestra: 90,000

• Sivosestra: 8,000

• Zalenasestra: 10,000

• Other: 12,000

Sample Stats

PRO 4
ATH 9
STR 9
AWA 9
WIL 9
PRS 9
STH 9