Post by The Vitruvian on Mar 20, 2014 19:46:39 GMT
Starting off with everything from The Vitruvian's homeworld. All content in this post is open. In fact, please, seriously, make a character using this stuff. I'll love you for it. Ask me if you want to add anything to the world's canon, though. I'll most likely say yes so long as I'm allowed input.
Name:
Alter
Size:
8900 km radius (center of core to top of crust)
Climate/Environment:
North pole is desert, constantly facing towards the sun it orbits, south pole is frozen in sunless permanight, the rest of the planet is a habitable, earthlike atmosphere. There is about twice the density of plant life compared to earth, and it tends towards blue-green rather than the green commonly accepted as 'leaf-green' on earth. Gravity is, deceptively enough, lower than on earth despite the planet being 1.4 times the size of earth.
Species List: Tsulsthan, Tsulsthan Construct
Species Group - The Dominant Sentients
Species Name:
Tsulsthan
Lifespan:
300 human years
Appearance:
The Tsulsthan as a people are characterized by extreme height and slenderness, relative to humans, and enormous hands and heads. The entire race tends towards the pale, but nomadic tribes of indigenous Tsulsthan live around the fringes of the desert north pole that have evolved melanism as a defense against their powerful sun, and their immediate cultural neighbors are relatively tanned. Their movements are slow and lumbering, due to the low gravity. Their clothing tends to be light and tight-fitting at the ankles, wrists and necks.
Size:
Tall and thin
Average Height:
15'
Average Weight:
1200 lbs
Average Length:
Front of torso to back is about 9"
Supernatural Abilities:
Supernatural strength, varying mastery of aspect magic
Preferred Habitat:
Slightly cooler and darker than standard earth-like conditions.
Behaviors: The Tsulsthan are a sentient species like any other, and their behaviors vary from culture to culture and from person to person, but as a people they are given to academic thought over warlike bickering, and there is a considerable amount of ceremony involved in their politics, academics and warmongering alike. As a species they are very advanced in both magic and technology, due to a mostly global agreement to separate academics from politics in a way equivalent to the ideal of the American separation of church and state. As a result, the schooling system of the Tsulsthan in most places is only partially government-funded, at the very most. Most Tsulsthan pay for their tuition through work done for their university of choice afterward.
The culturally prevalent system in politics is a curious blend of anarchy and democracy, whereupon extremely intelligent Tsulsthan constructs present in more developed countries constantly collect popular opinions, and adjust the country's policy to compensate. The exact execution of this concept varies from country to country, like on earth, but this is the norm. Less developed countries make use of simple, Tsulsthan-operated democracy, with a party system. The occasional small, hostile pocket state is a dictatorship, but dictatorships are a dying breed on Alter.
Money on Alter is more of a formality in most countries, with distribution run so efficiently that rarely does the question of wealth come up. Economics is still a science, but mostly a historic one that is applied to less advanced races and less advanced tribes of Tsulsthan as an academic exercise.
In war, the Tsulsthan use constructs, magical meat-machines that can be adapted to any function. The raw materials for these are grown in nutrient vats from Tsulsthan genetic material, and shaped as needed. The superior officers and more efficient construct-forges will win by superior force, but it is considered an absolutely abhorrent crime to kill a Tsulsthan at all, and it is becoming increasingly morally questionable to kill the more intelligent varieties of construct.
Most personal questions are considered impolite among the Tsulsthan, and small talk tends to extend about as far as human conversation does in most directions, but asking after the health of a Tsulsthan is considered rude unless it is relevant to the conversation or immediately important matters. Even still, it is considered forward to ask a Tsulsthan if they are alright. Unless a Tsulsthan cannot speak to you, don't bother.
Species Group - The Constructs
NOTE: If you are going to make one of these, drop me a PM about what it's supposed to do, and I'll give you its full name. Full names are dictated by the temperament and performance-defining runic symbols carved into their foreheads.
Species Name:
Vitruvian Constructs
Lifespan:
Functionally infinite (one life-cycle is about twelve hundred years)
Appearance:
This is the kind of construct that the Vitruvian is - from top to toe;
Size:
Slightly taller than humanoid
Average Height:
6' 5"
Average Weight:
260 lbs
Average Length:
From front to back of torso, about 11"
Supernatural Abilities:
Supernatural logical capacity, usually mastery of aspect magic
Preferred Habitat:
Cool, dark areas with no obstructions (can be adapted to suit any habitat but without any adaptations it is best-suited to office work)
Behaviors: The construct tends towards emotionless, but will act in any way commanded by an authorized Tsulsthan. It has the capacity to live a life for itself but often lacks direction. In the absence of higher command, they will usually perform their function to the best of their ability i.e. a maintenance Vitruvian will find and fix machinery and magical artifacts, a hunter Vitruvian will find and kill small game, prepare the body and bring it to a self-designated 'central' location.
Name:
Alter
Size:
8900 km radius (center of core to top of crust)
Climate/Environment:
North pole is desert, constantly facing towards the sun it orbits, south pole is frozen in sunless permanight, the rest of the planet is a habitable, earthlike atmosphere. There is about twice the density of plant life compared to earth, and it tends towards blue-green rather than the green commonly accepted as 'leaf-green' on earth. Gravity is, deceptively enough, lower than on earth despite the planet being 1.4 times the size of earth.
Species List: Tsulsthan, Tsulsthan Construct
Species Group - The Dominant Sentients
Species Name:
Tsulsthan
Lifespan:
300 human years
Appearance:
The Tsulsthan as a people are characterized by extreme height and slenderness, relative to humans, and enormous hands and heads. The entire race tends towards the pale, but nomadic tribes of indigenous Tsulsthan live around the fringes of the desert north pole that have evolved melanism as a defense against their powerful sun, and their immediate cultural neighbors are relatively tanned. Their movements are slow and lumbering, due to the low gravity. Their clothing tends to be light and tight-fitting at the ankles, wrists and necks.
Size:
Tall and thin
Average Height:
15'
Average Weight:
1200 lbs
Average Length:
Front of torso to back is about 9"
Supernatural Abilities:
Supernatural strength, varying mastery of aspect magic
Preferred Habitat:
Slightly cooler and darker than standard earth-like conditions.
Behaviors: The Tsulsthan are a sentient species like any other, and their behaviors vary from culture to culture and from person to person, but as a people they are given to academic thought over warlike bickering, and there is a considerable amount of ceremony involved in their politics, academics and warmongering alike. As a species they are very advanced in both magic and technology, due to a mostly global agreement to separate academics from politics in a way equivalent to the ideal of the American separation of church and state. As a result, the schooling system of the Tsulsthan in most places is only partially government-funded, at the very most. Most Tsulsthan pay for their tuition through work done for their university of choice afterward.
The culturally prevalent system in politics is a curious blend of anarchy and democracy, whereupon extremely intelligent Tsulsthan constructs present in more developed countries constantly collect popular opinions, and adjust the country's policy to compensate. The exact execution of this concept varies from country to country, like on earth, but this is the norm. Less developed countries make use of simple, Tsulsthan-operated democracy, with a party system. The occasional small, hostile pocket state is a dictatorship, but dictatorships are a dying breed on Alter.
Money on Alter is more of a formality in most countries, with distribution run so efficiently that rarely does the question of wealth come up. Economics is still a science, but mostly a historic one that is applied to less advanced races and less advanced tribes of Tsulsthan as an academic exercise.
In war, the Tsulsthan use constructs, magical meat-machines that can be adapted to any function. The raw materials for these are grown in nutrient vats from Tsulsthan genetic material, and shaped as needed. The superior officers and more efficient construct-forges will win by superior force, but it is considered an absolutely abhorrent crime to kill a Tsulsthan at all, and it is becoming increasingly morally questionable to kill the more intelligent varieties of construct.
Most personal questions are considered impolite among the Tsulsthan, and small talk tends to extend about as far as human conversation does in most directions, but asking after the health of a Tsulsthan is considered rude unless it is relevant to the conversation or immediately important matters. Even still, it is considered forward to ask a Tsulsthan if they are alright. Unless a Tsulsthan cannot speak to you, don't bother.
Species Group - The Constructs
NOTE: If you are going to make one of these, drop me a PM about what it's supposed to do, and I'll give you its full name. Full names are dictated by the temperament and performance-defining runic symbols carved into their foreheads.
Species Name:
Vitruvian Constructs
Lifespan:
Functionally infinite (one life-cycle is about twelve hundred years)
Appearance:
This is the kind of construct that the Vitruvian is - from top to toe;
- It is of roughly human height and girth
- It has eyes set in the side of its head that are usually entirely taken up by its enormous, circular pupils. In higher-light conditions, these will dilate to reveal yellow irises
- It has a lamprey-like mouth, filled with circular rows of sharp, hooked teeth
- It is bald, and part of its scalp is usually peeled back to allow the runes binding it to its assigned role to be used
- It has four arms and legs - it switches between pairs at will, giving each alternating pair a rest to work and/or walk and stand continuously. These emerge from the same cluster of joints at the hip. Its shoulders aren't even stumps.
- In all things that appear human, it looks androgynous
Size:
Slightly taller than humanoid
Average Height:
6' 5"
Average Weight:
260 lbs
Average Length:
From front to back of torso, about 11"
Supernatural Abilities:
Supernatural logical capacity, usually mastery of aspect magic
Preferred Habitat:
Cool, dark areas with no obstructions (can be adapted to suit any habitat but without any adaptations it is best-suited to office work)
Behaviors: The construct tends towards emotionless, but will act in any way commanded by an authorized Tsulsthan. It has the capacity to live a life for itself but often lacks direction. In the absence of higher command, they will usually perform their function to the best of their ability i.e. a maintenance Vitruvian will find and fix machinery and magical artifacts, a hunter Vitruvian will find and kill small game, prepare the body and bring it to a self-designated 'central' location.
