Thaumar

Insinsis empowered by symbols.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi

• Alignment: Poioumenonic

• Energy: Symbolism

• Lifespan: 1,000 years

• Diet: Energy

• Habitat: Arctic river lands

Origins

Thaumari evolved from shemir who were engaged in the invocation of symbolic magic for many eons.

Description

Thaumari appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (light green, light grey, azure blue, or citrine orange). 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. Culturally, they often tattoo themselves.

Procreation

Thaumari 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

Thaumari have the innate ability to understand the cultural context of drawn symbols. While they cannot read written language automatically, drawn, etched, or painted symbols that are not part of an alphabet can be generally understood by them.

Absorption

Thaumari can absorb esoteric energies if they are directed at them. Ambient energies cannot be absorbed. Their ability to absorb esoteric energies has a limit - every thaumar has a capacity much the same as a human’s stomach does. They convert esoteric energies into sustenance.

Weaknesses

Void will harm them.

Nations

There are four nations of thaumari:

• Darneynians, who live in Darneyn in Cassaru, the original nation.

• Induachaynians, who live where Induachayn used to be in the southern Island Bridge.

• Rhompharians, who live where Rhomphar used to be in the Lithosphere beneath Wymmera.

• Xynomians, who live where Xynom used to be in Gyrah.

Culture

The thaumari are descended of shemir; before the Death of Magic, they were wielders of mana. After the Death of Magic, in order to survive, they evolved to be wielders of other poioumenonic energies, eventually adjusting to be beings of symbolism, the energy of meaning. This energy helped them survive and protected them from the violence of void energy that filled the world after the Death of Magic.

They settled in a region called Darneyn along two icy rivers. There, they live in a city of wonders designed to protect them from the cold and to allow them to thrive in the tundra. Great bridges connect the three sections of the city, crossing each of the rivers, and forming a massive symbol out of the shape of the city that insists upon good weather for the area.

Darneyn is ruled by a philosopher-king, a powerful symbologer who is a living symbol of the city. The philosopher-king is elected by a council of the most respected philosophers, each of whom come from one of the major universities in the city:

• School of Aesthetics

• School of Epistemology (the most prestigious)

• School of Ethics (the least prestigious)

• School of Logic

• School of Metaphysics

The universities claim to be a meritocracy, but there is a great deal of political infighting, nepotism, and prejudices. Each school is run by a group of deans and presidents, each of whom has their own subschool to run. Each school has a byzantine network of students, faculty, and administrators that are more viciously political than the Srisian Senate.

Children in Darneyn are raised by their parents, though parents often find themselves engrossed in studies and not able to keep up with the appropriate care needed for their children. Sometimes, students or other servants are required to care for the children, or the children simply survive on their own if they can. Neglect is a significant cultural issue in Darneyn. Children are sent to school by age four, preferably one their parents work at or attend. By the age of 12, they are expected to know their preference for a school and apply to it. From then, they have three years to be accepted. If they are not accepted to any school they applied to, they are sent to a trade school and relegated to second-class citizens.

Those who are not accepted into one of the five universities lose certain rights, including rights to the most potent symbols, limited voting rights, and access to information and libraries. Those who are accepted into one of the five universities are given special treatment in society. They can access any symbol except those reserved for the king or their circle, may vote at every level except for king, and have access to all information. Those who become a dean or president of a university or subschool are the ones who may vote for king. This is called the “circle of the king” and it is genuinely dangerous to be part of it, due to the political wars that occur.

Once in university, students are expected to excel. Any failure is punished with demotion to a lesser subschool or with expulsion if severe enough - and if the student doesn’t have the right political support. As such, students join political colloquiums to align themselves quickly if they don’t have family ties. Graduation from a university takes place after eight years, but few truly leave the schools once they make it in. They usually become faculty.

Those who don’t go to the universities go to the trade schools or lesser universities, study some specific craft or art, and pursue it outside the five schools. They have more freedom and safer lives in terms of not being poisoned or outcast, but they must survive on less energy, work harder, and often end up getting sick due to the bad diet they are forced to endure. As such, many try to steal energies or feed in different ways. As it is illegal to produce a symbol for feeding that is not sanctioned by the schools or king, creating a charm symbol or sigiled object without permission is considered “poaching”. They do it anyway, and the authorities look the other way if it is not excessive. Poaching symbols on a larger scale happens, however, especially those that can be used as inebriants.

Art and music in Darneyn is complex and avant garde but respected. Symbolic artworks are deeply and inherently understood, more so than direct ones, and therefore they are cherished. They also have esoteric potency.

Symbols

To protect the city, there are eight massive pillars engraved with symbols designed to absorb esoteric energies, whether directed or ambient, and convert it to sustenance for the thaumari. They gather around it and feed twice a day. Everyone is issued papers that tell them their feeding times, and if they miss one, they go hungry. They are allotted a certain amount of time based on their social status (a half hour for non-university folk, a full hour for university folk, three hours for the circle of the king, and unlimited for the philosopher-king and anyone they bring with them).

Each pillar is designed for a different alignment of esoteric energy. They glow brighter depending on how much energy they have absorbed, and the poioumenonic pillar is always the brightest and most desirable.

All thaumari are taught to use symbols, to invoke their power, from a very young age. They are taught standard symbology (see Symbologer under Poioimenonic Esotericists in Occupations). To use symbols, a thaumar must invoke them as any other symbologer would (using a charm or sigil and rubbing it), but their bodies, which are filled with esoteric energies, operate as a separate battery that add some power to the symbol invoked. Furthermore, their bodies operate as a kalak symbol automatically, meaning they do not need to carry kalak symbols. Any use of a kalak symbol acts as a second use of one, amplifying kalak’s power.

Commoners often supplement their diets with invoked symbols that draw or direct non-poioumenonic powers, sending the energy into each other in order to feed. This means they must acquire charms or sigils in different ways, usually illegally producing them via the crafts they have learned.

National Cultures

• Induachaynians: in the southern Island Bridge, the Induachaynians once lived in a city that matched Darneyn, but it was conquered and destroyed. Now, they live amongst the dreamers and wanderers of the southern seas, living on great boats etched with symbols that operate like the pillars.

• Rhompharians: the Rhompharians were driven underground during the conquest of the baleful many eons ago. They use symbols etched into the walls of their cavern homes to feed from and have a more egalitarian society, forced upon them by the threat of violence from above and the scarcity they live in below.

• Xynomians: the Xynomians dwell as a slave nation in Urayme. They feed in secret, helping one another, and they vow to one day be free. Some escape to the Freehold and become powerful esotericists there.

Esoterica

As beings of symbolism, thaumari are its most potent users. They are poioumenonic beings and regularly invoke all of the powers of esoteric narrative. Any unaligned power is invokable via their symbolic arts. Aligned powers are rarer - and culturally forbidden - but possible, except void, which kills them.

Religion

Thaumari worship Okkyr, “One”, a symbolic Divine force who gives meaning to all that exists. They approach religion philosophically, study the Divine as part of their schooling, and worship by devoting their researches and papers to Okkyr.

Gender

Gender is just another symbol. Each thaumar approaches a symbolic representation of themselves via gendered expressions. Most adhere to the standard binary, but those who deviate are not disrespected in Darneyn.

Economy

Darneyn is an autocratic society with a mixed feudal / slave economy.

Military

The Darneynian military is centered on the five major universities. Each one has a physical studies department that trains elite warriors. The bulk of the military is made up of conscripts from the commoners during times of crisis and a local police force employed from their number.

Language

A mixture of Turkic languages and Selkup.

Occupations

Some common occupations include the following:

• Arrugginitu: teachers at the universities.

• Din Adamı: a chaplain at the universities.

• Holistician: symbolic investigator.

• Iaculator: symbolically empowered riflemen.

• Metaphilosopher: a scholar of esoteric symbols.

• Monax: an aesthetic aesthete.

• Philosopher-King: ruler of Darneyn.

• Pygamber: a reader of Okkyr’s symbols.

• Sanatçı: symbolic artists.

• Symbologer: invokers of symbols.

Outside View

Thaumari are seen as strange mages who gatekeep their secrets. Oppressors want to exploit their power; the oppressed view them as agents of the oppressors for not sharing their power.

Notables

• O Kim Bilir, Thaumar Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Darneynians: 100,000

• Induachaynians: 5,000

• Rhompharians: 10,000

• Xynomians: 30,000

• Other: 20,000

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 8
STR 7
AWA 11
WIL 11
PRS 7
STH 8