Insinsi

Hominid species with larger heads and mystic powers.

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Cephalan

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi
• Alignment: Unaligned
• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Nutritionally designed fare
• Habitat: Arctic tundra
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed

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.

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.

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.

Most cephalans in Endruin have come seeking funding for their experiments, and thus, they try to assimilate into local culture to curry favor from the ruling elites. They are viewed as eccentric outsiders, and thus, they face discrimination unless they prove themselves useful to the rulers of the empire. Many are employed in industry, used for their scientific focus, being exploited. Others use their knowledge to rise in the ranks, become wealthy, and fully assimilated. Others still are outright enslaved.

Most cephalans who have not assimilated still naively believe in a meritocracy and think Endruin is one. They have a belief in scientific purity, and as long as that is met, they don't care what else happens. Like in their homelands, even in Endruin, each individual cephalan has a preference for a specific kind of science. In Endruin, engineering, technology, and chemistry are favored most.

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

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Gondal

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi
• Alignment: Unaligned
• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Minerals and metals
• Habitat: Underground
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed

Gondals appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (golden, shimmering diamond amidst a sea of black, silver, iron, ruby and sapphire). 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.

Gondals can see in low light and are resistant to both higher temperatures and lower temperatures.

Gondals can phase through solid matter such as stone and metal (but not living matter). y phasing through stone, gondals accumulate trace amounts of metals. These are converted in their veins into pure mashoaab, which allows them to absorb more metals as they phase through stone. As they accumulate, they must expel the excess mashoaab, which they do either by releasing it into the stone (by touching with their hands) or into other gondals (usually children who cannot yet feed themselves or the sick, disabled, or elderly) through touching their heads. Their capacity to accumulate increases as they age, and around the age of 120, assuming they are healthy and have had an average amount of accumulation over the course of their life, they can keep what they accumulate no matter what. At this stage, sharing their accumulated energies is no longer compulsory and they can hoard if they choose. Most choose to share, but at a price.

Gondals come to Endruin from the subterranean realm, usually as traders, merchants, and business owners seeking new opportunities. They often engage with and assimilate into the ruling class of Endruin if they come with money; if they come without money, they are easily exploited and taken advantage of, believing as they do in a fairness to trade that doesn't exist in the empire. The contracts they live by in their homelands mean very little in Endruin, but they often come thinking this is the way of things everywhere.

Some gondals are from nations that are less pure in their contractual beliefs, and therefore, more willing to engage in the more exploitative, violent, and ruthless commerce of Endruin. These assimilate much better and often already use some of the powers commonly used in the empire.

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

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Grisite

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi
• Alignment: Elemental
• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Dust and particles
• Habitat: Coastal regions
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed

Grisites appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (grey, white, soft blue, tawny brown, or creamy yellow). 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.

Beings of weather and nature, grisites naturally see patterns in atmospheric haze that show them what is happening all around the world. This clairvoyant sight does not give them perfect knowledge, but glimpses of goings on elsewhere, always on another continent.

Depending on the kind of haze, grisites might also have other powers:

• Industrial haze: poison resistance +3
• Volcanic haze: WIL +1
• Wintry haze: cold resistance +3
• Train smoke haze: endurance +3
• Mining haze: STR +1
• Farming haze: constitution +3
• Wildfire haze: heat resistance +3
• Acidic haze: acid resistance +3

Ancient grisites grow to hate pollutant hazes and often seek to become one with more natural ones, taking a haze form once they reach elderly status. Many take this form and fade away as they die.

While their original culture is more mystical and focused on deep predictions, grisites in Endruin have acclimated to the industrial era and the exploitative nature of capitalism. They find employment working for industry, helping with political and commercial endeavors with their insights into the world, and mostly being openly exploited and accepting it as part of the work.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 7 AWA 10 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 9

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Thaumar

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi
• Alignment: Fey
• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Energy
• Habitat: Arctic river lands
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

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.

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.

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.

The nations thaumari come from are academically focused, a culture of deep symbolism with great interest in various philosophies. They view study and debate as the highest activities. In their homelands, they have schools which make up the center of their culture, but in Endruin, they find education and philosophy to be very undervalued.

Some find work as tutors, teachers, or professors for the ruling class, but most are used for their more magical properties. They are enslaved or employed, but never part of the ruling class, no matter how much wealth they accrue. Few try to assimilate, but those who do find themselves met with scorn.

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

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Zile

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi
• Alignment: Fey
• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Fish-heavy mortal fare
• Habitat: Tropical islands
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Zile appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (deep violet, light blue, merry green, rich tan, garish orange, or a combination thereof). 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.

A zile’s laugh is infectious. Zile gain strength from alcoholic drinks with a certain amount of sugar in them. Rum is best. Though the drink does inebriate them, they recover more quickly. During their inebriation, they are physically stronger and faster.

From islands far from Endruin, zile are brought there usually by slavers. Many have gained freedom, however, and there is a small subculture within the slums of Haenor where they retain their cuisine, music, clothing, and other marks of their culture.

Most important to their culture is the Soulajman, a festival celebrating their species' survival in their homeland, which is repeated every year. It is a vast feast, party, and parade happening toward the end of winter. After the Soulajman, it is traditional for them to rest for forty days, but this is not possible in Endruin. Instead, they find subtle forms of rest they can engage in, doing less while still meeting the demands of the ruthless capitalist society they live in.

They are stereotyped as drunkards and inferiors by the ruling class, and that makes them subject to discrimination and hatred in society.

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