Stage 1: Basic Synopsis Tags Metamorphic bioluminescent plant-like warrior bards from a Gaia world. Appearance Nysians are a tall and graceful species of floral lifeforms that are native to the Gaia world Nys. Their height typically ranges between 7’5’’ and 8’0’’, due to the planet’s gravity. Various parts of their figure glows, including their eyes. It is often a soft teal color, but there are exceptions. The rest of their body is a dark black. They are humanoid, possessing two arms and two legs, but six eyes- Three on each side, two bigger and more central than the rest. Their scalp often sprouts identifying features. There are two stages to the Nysian life cycle- Juvenile and Adult. Juveniles are short and bright. Their glowing body trails off into a ‘dress’ around their legs, which flows when they move. Adults come when juveniles kill a creature and form a cocoon from the corpse. The appearance and abilities of adults vary wildly, as part of the metamorphosis incorporates the birthcreature’s genes. Culture Nys hosts a culture of warrior poets and natural philosophers- Each should be able to forge their own blade, weave their own clothing, and hunt their own meals. Paradoxically, Nysians enjoy the concept of specialization and mastering specific arts. They frown only upon the idea of letting the luxury of modern society weaken yourself from knowing how to fend off the wilds of their home. Nys is a planet of Renaissance Men. The planet is divided into many city states, the biggest of which focus around a college of philosophy- Buildings comparable to the Library of Alexandria. There are three such institutes on the planet. The College of The Art, The College of The Hunt, and the College of The Blade Dance. Each focuses on specific parts of their lifestyle. The Art hosts the best creators on Nys, and views the artistry in their life to be most important. The Hunt hosts the best weaponsmiths on Nyx. They view their survival and weapon mastery to be the pivot of their life. The Blade Dance believes the performance and instilling emotions into others are the core of the Nysian way. History Nys and their people were forged in the womb of coincidence and lucky happenstance- Born and cultured on a Gaia World in a system alight with life potential. Early Nysians found home amidst the massive trees and megaflora of their homeworld, hunting their beasts for food and the growth of their young. As time progressed and they mastered technology, their traditions stayed stalwart in the face of discovery, keeping keen to the old ways as they seamlessly blended new ideas with the old. They never properly unified into one mass government, entrusting each of their scattered city states to govern its people how it pleased- One’s right to their destiny is unshakable. Now they sit, governed by the three philosopher kings of Nys- The Faseir of the College of the Hunt, the Issuir of the College of the Art, and the Ayveir of the College of the Blade dance. Under their rule, Nys has seemed to prosper. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Nysians present a way to be a part of a cool and introspective warrior culture with a highly diverse skill set.- Their home world also allows for a new and interesting place to be explored in the Milky Way.
Initial pass. Some things to focus on in stage 2: – Their gene-stealing properties are going to be under the most scrutiny, so be sure to give examples of how it influences the adult form, how it evolved, and how it works in general. – You're also going to want to work out how they interact with other species, like Vampyr and Shifters, in terms of infectibility and whether or not they can steal those genetic codes. – How does their reproduction work in general? – How do they interact with other species? Is cocooning sentient species taboo, or encouraged? – Can they cocoon plants? I love the concept of gene-stealing, and I'm sure this'll have some fun implications for their culture and how they view other animals. Looking forward to seeing the full app!!
Hello, I'll be giving this app it's second pass! Pink already mentioned a lot of things that I would have mentioned my self so I won't do it again, but please do a lot of work on that history in Stage 2. I'd also like to see an expansion on their society, how it's organized and such, it seems quite interesting and likely would've heavily influenced their history and culture extensively. Love these guys, lots of good potential, but that history is very barebones and sparse. Also since I saw a few questions about it in Discord, make sure you clarify in the Stage 2 that they are not primitive while expanding on culture. Helps avoid confusion.
Stage 2: Expanded Lore Tags Metamorphic bioluminescent plant-like warrior bards from a Gaia world. Homeworld/Environment The Nysian System GM: zecon125#2468, Cheffy#1647, TrIpTiCuS#6623 Nerisi, Main Sequence Star Ø Kioys - A terrestrial world the size of mars, which has been baked by its sun. It swirls closely around Nerisi. Ø Kioys I - A ring formed from bits of Kioys' crust, knocked off from ancient asteroid impacts. IV Nys - The Nysian Homeworld, a Gaia planet possessing in a variety of lifeforms, including select breeds of megaflora and megafauna. Its surface is constantly dark and rainy, clouded by massive canopies from its trees. It possesses four small moons. Ø Mysa - A moon of Nys. A small grey and porous rock with no discernible landmarks. Ø Caea - A moon of Nys. A 'larger' pale asteroid with a noticeable 'canal network' across its surface, seemingly naturally formed. I Nersiro - A moon of Nys. A thinly atmosphere'd planetoid smaller then Nys, but larger than all other moons. It is the apparent homeworld of the Siro Fastaka, and rumored to be hollow. Ø Telosi - A moon of Nys. The smallest of its orbiting bodies. It is a steely blue color, thanks in part to natural deposits of both Nickel and Cobalt speckling its surface. Ø Seyli - A supermassive gas giant beyond the orbit of Nerisi. Its path through space is noticeably crooked, compared to the rest of the system. It is high in argon, and contains the corpses of many curious or young Siro Fastaka. It is pink in color. Ø Seylinim - A veritable asteroid field of moons orbiting Seyli, containing 89 total rocks in its orbit. Ø Eirsi - A comet trailing close to the system. Every six months it is visible from Nys. Every year it crosses visible paths with Ijo. Ø Ijo - A comet trailing far off from the system. Every year, it becomes visible to Nys and its path "intersects" with Eirsi's. Nys The planet of Nys is a Gaia world with four moons, one of which cultures life of its own. It is swathed in massive tree-like megaflora that stops most sunlight from hitting the surface, but allows heat to carry through it. It houses several massive lakes and types of flora that resemble organic aqueducts to travel water through the planet- With constant rain from the canopy leaves- but it has no oceans. The fauna makes interesting use of the light level of their planet. With sunlight as a rare resource, most of the prey animals have adapted senses to take over for vision in large part, and most of the predators have evolved with some level of self-lighting to allow them to both see and attract prey. The planet itself is smaller than Earth and as such has less gravity, sitting at half of Earth’s. Beyond its atmosphere, one of its moons houses life- The orbiting body of Nersiro is the breeding ground and migration point of a species of Nys-native, space-faring creatures called the Siro Fastaka, which possess natural psionics of some form. Nysians themselves are evenly speckled around the planet and have been for almost all of their history. Biology Appearance Nysians are broken up into two forms- A juvenile form, Nim, and a mature form, Ahiyala. Boht forms are humanoid. Ahiyala stand between 7’5’’ and 8’1’’, with skin that varies from matte to vantablack with patches of brightly colored bioluminescence. The color of this glow is variable based on genetics, comparable to eye and hair color. Their head is often decorated with soft tissue ‘vines’ that smell and scent, or hard tissue horns that do similar. Their hands have four spindly digits- Three fingers and a thumb. Their legs end in feet composed of two opposable pieces, which can spread out or contract. This allows a Nysian to stand on any surface that can hold their weight. They have six eyes total- Two large ones meant to see in the dark, and four smaller ones that see in the light. Some, but not all, Nysians have additional foliage around their body, which glows their color. Ahiyala can possess varying traits that come from their Lineage, which is covered more in Anatomy and Lifecycle. Nim range from 3’6’’ to 4’3’’, with dimly luminescent skin and bodies that end in flowing ‘dresses’. They lack many of the identifying features that vary between Ahiyala. For a Nim to mature to an Ahiyala, they must slay a creature and form a cocoon using its body. Anatomy Nysian biology mimics that of Florans for most details- Possessing the same rudimentary set of organs. Their skin is glossy and vine-like in texture, with their bones resembling soft wood. A few scant chloroplasts fill their skin, which they can gather minute energy from. Unlike Florans, they are capable of regrowing extremities over a month or two. Their blood is the color of their bioluminescence. Their DNA contains a specialized design which allows it to easily incorporate new information from the recently killed flesh of their prey. This is done by breaking down their entire bod and remaking it, with this new sequence in mind. During this process, a Nysian will completely melt into their fleshy cocoon and be reborn. They retain memories and thoughts through this process. This can only be done with creatures from Nys, because of genetic similarities. Due to their curious genetic coding, cloning a Nysian is tricky. Their bodies must be cloned from sample DNA within four hours post-mortem, or they will be cloned as a Nim. This is due to the stolen DNA in them decaying at an alarming rate, unsupported by their bodies. However, Nim have an especially sturdy genome, and need much less care post-cloning, as well as being less prone to cloning defects. Nysians are strict carnivores, only able to eat meat, dairy, and mushrooms. Ingesting plant matter causes sickness, such as nausea and vomiting. As adults, they have sealing jaws that seem to unhinge into two rows of razor sharp teeth. Their bite is strong enough to crush bone. These jaws are underdeveloped as Nim, only able to eat soft tissue. Curiously, Nysians intake liquid through their pores, and can speak without the aid of their mouth- Their throats have sensitive organs that vibrate correctly to emulate speech. Due to their confusing genetic coding, Ahiyala have proven immune to both the Shifter and Drakablod infections. Nim are not, and if they get infected, they will be unable to progress to Ahiyala. Lifecycle A Nysian starts life as a seed-like egg that is shed from the skin of a parent, and buried into the flesh of a dead creature. A Nim will grow and blossom out of this corpse in time, where it is then taught various skills by a group of tutoring Ahiyala. To progress to becoming an Ahiyala, a Nim must go out and find or slay- traditionally slay- a beast from which to make a cocoon from. During this pupation its body completely melts and reforms itself, taking in the DNA of the creature it had slain. Reproduction is done via voluntary production and reception of spores, released and received through the skin of a Nysian. After a Nysian is fertilized, three to six seeds will bud on their skin, which are easily shed. Nysians are hermaphroditical, and can technically self-fertilize. This practice is frowned upon due to its link to antisocial or egotistical behaviors in their culture. Combat Adaption A primary feature of the Nysian species is their ability to metamorphose into a variety of different lineages, providing a different playstyle in combat for most characters! This is typically a decision that is made once and can not be changed unless the Nysian dies. These Lineages are covered in a channel in the species Discord, and should be taken into account when grading them. Beyond these lineages, there are various things to take account when fighting a Nysian. They are thin and agile, but very frail- Especially when compared to Florans. They are strained in average gravity due to their homeworld’s conditions, and they can see well in moderate, dim, and near-no light. Their bodies are able to recover from grievous but not fatal injuries, like having their arm lobbed off, in as little as two months. They also possess jagged teeth and enough jaw strength to crush bone. Culture(s) & Themes Overview Nysians culture balances on three tenants: Self-sufficiency, Combat, and Performance. A species of natural philosophers and warrior poets, they place a keen interest in specialization as well.- Nysians like to be ‘skilled’ at few things while having a lot of basic information to fall back on. This results in Nys being a planet of Renaissance men. They frown on letting the modern luxuries they now have access to interfere with their self-sufficiency, but they are not so judgemental as to force this standard of life onto others. Government and Beliefs Nys is divided into many city states. Only an informal government reigns, forged by verbal agreement and establishing the biggest three city states as ‘leaders.’ These three are also labyrinthine colleges which store the majority of collected knowledge on-world: The Colleges of the Art, Hunt, and Blade Dance. Each embodies a different tenant of the Nysian lifestyle. The College of the Art has the best creators on Nys, viewing artistry and self-sufficiency as the most important part of life. Their many scholars are devoted to mastering as many skills as possible. They are also responsible for most of the skill-necessary civil services on Nys, such as the Mints, book-keeping, and upkeeping trade alliances. The College of the Hunt has the best fighters and weaponsmiths on Nys, viewing hunting and combat as the pinnacle of their worldview. Their combatants devote their time to mastering combat either with one main weapon or many varied tools. They are also responsible for most of the military duties on Nys, such as maintaining a standing army and managing the aqueducts that serve as their on-planet locomotion- Making them in de facto control of the mail service as well. The College of the Blade Dance has the best actors, diplomats, and dancers on Nys. They view the act of imbuing emotions into others through actions as a pivotal to life. Their performers work best at perfecting this practice. They are responsible for organizing many of Nys’ large gatherings, such as mating rituals, and also work as the prime diplomats for their ‘government.’ They have a keen interest in spiritual and unreal practices which seem to help one sympathize or empathize in another. On top of this, Nysians highly value freedom of fate and expression above all else- They firmly believe every individual is their own, and to rob one of either is akin to rape in their society as such a heinous crime. Family Structure The three colleges are not only organizations of higher learning and governmental bodies, but also clans. Clans are the closest thing to a traditional family one will find on Nys, though they are much more equivalent to a faction whose beliefs one aligns to. To join a clan, one must swear to their oath of kinship, and be accepted by them. The colleges are not the only clans on Nys, but they are the biggest. Because of this, there is no necessary link between individual people in Nys, even if one sires the other as a child. This allows a Nysian to choose their ‘family’ as they please, which is a privilege unafforded to many individuals in the Fringe. Interestingly, saving a Nysian results in a life-debt, which must be paid back by that individual, or a member of their clan. This is upheld by most all Nysians, regardless of their position or the size of their clan. Nysians are also free to choose their lover- Being hermaphroditical and almost uninterested in children, the concept of ‘love’ easily surpasses their own species, and viable candidates encompass the entire population of the Galaxy. However, Nysians have no popular idea of ‘ideal’ love, allowing any practice of romantic involvement to be followed as one pleases. The only separation is one’s personal beliefs. Free love, especially sexual, is also very common on Nys, due to their views on children in general. Fashion The hallmark of Nysian fashion, like many Nysian things, comes down to its extreme variability given an individual’s preferences. Many prefer skin-tight attire that gives privacy whilst not interfering with combat, some prefer decadent jewelry and flowing robes, and even still some prefer merely to go without- The idea of shame over one’s body is not a thing on Nys, after all. Armor is also often favored, though many prefer to be light enough to freely move still- A rare ability on higher-gravity planets. Cuisine Food for a Nysian is made up of majority meat, with spare mushrooms and a variety of seasonings and methods of preparation- Cooking, like anything, is viewed as an art and has been given much study by the people of Nys. Plant life is in no shortage on the planet, but due to their diet, Nysians do not use it for much except season- Getting no nutrients from it, and getting sick if too much is consumed. Interestingly, Nysians can not get sick from spoiled meat unless it is somehow contaminated, allowing for many of their cooking practices to involve letting foodstuff deliberately go rotten for one reason or another. Their choice of beverages include water, blood, and a tea-like substance made either from the cocoons of their young, or skin of their hunts. Technology Due to their long lives and the fact that subjects are taught to Nysians as they grow interested in them, rather than having any strong school system, many do not care for looking into the progression of technology. This leads to a great leap in advancement whenever a great technological mind is born, before flickering out almost as soon as they pass. Due to this, much of Nysian technology is woven easily into their lifestyle due to how long they have to adapt to it between progression. This said, they have quickly progressed to the standard of the Fringe thanks to technological imports, and many individuals getting more interested in tech due to exposure to their extraplanetary neighbors. Burial Rights Nysians have no respect for corpses, but much respect for the dead- They weave intricate art and stories in remembrance of an individual and their deeds, but quickly throw any corpse into a grand ‘breeding pit’ at the center of below any given city state. Once a person leaves a body, it is no longer valued at all. Economy Silrilo, the Nysian currency, is worth one hundred and twenty pixels each. This is due to them being hand-crafted from special alloy in the heart of the College of the Arts by master metallurgists. One side has the Nysian insignia, and the other, the creator’s signature. This is used to prevent forgery, though this is seen as a non-issue. Many believe that if a counterfeit is good enough to pass off as genuine, it is as good as the real deal, though they hate the idea of mass-producing Silrilo via machine. History Prehistory Nysians began life on the Gaia world of Nys. Coming from a planet with extremely favorable conditions for life, it was not long before a species like them would appear. They began their evolutionary life as a species of tree-shrub, whose seeds would blossom into parasitic roots that dug into the flesh of creatures around them to acquire sustenance to grow. For much of their extremely early history, they resembled plantoid leeches. They evolved with the wildlife of the planet. As the creatures got stronger, faster, and hardier, they adapted more complex minds and smoother means of locomotion in order to keep pace. Eventually, the tree form of them fell away completely in favor of a more active hunter. Early Nysian society was much more seldom than current interpretations- Individuals would branch out as far away from their parents as possible, operating on instincts to grow and spread away from their birthplace. It took relatively long for Nysians to become ‘social’ creatures. However, Nysian history happens along a much longer timespan then most- Due to their extremely long lifespans and slowly advancing nature, any change takes much longer then it would for other species. Interestingly, Nysians did not always get sick from eating plant life, though they never got nutrients from it.- For the majority of their prehistory, they were opportunistic carnivores who would consume almost anything that made them feel full. Their current aversion to plants comes from what was originally an allergy, as those who gorged themselves on plant life were quick to fall victim to nutrient deficiencies and even starvation, if not killed by one of the many predators on Nys. As time went on, Nysians learned the ways of both pack hunting and how to perfect ‘the hunt’- a vital part of their early life, due to meat being required both for sustenance and the cultivation of their youth. These packs soon blossomed and grew into the ‘clan’ system that the Nys still practice today, and from these clans came city states. It was only natural, once the desperate squabbling for space was over and the hunt was perfected to such a point that not every day needed to be spent gathering food, that craftsmanship, and artistry, would flourish. The Era of Artistry Such a time blossomed into an Era of Artistry, which many Nysians consider to be the point at which they moved on from being a part of the wildlife into a species all their own. The basics of craftsmanship came first- Collecting fibers and silks to form into baskets and clothing, making buckets and tools out of bone and hard wood. These soon gave way into the early forms of traditional art- The first Nysian ‘portrait’ was done using mud and Vyove blood, as well as select doses of water. It showed a group of six, posing over a fresh kill. From there, it was off to the races. From the Era of Artistry, too, bloomed the early days of performance, and diplomacy- When citystates began to mingle on a wider stage. These days brought the first of Nysian flower wars- Fought over ideas, or over limited quantities of metal and hard wood- and the first large-scale trade. It did not take long for the thriving species to mend their warrior tendencies with their newfound love of art, and forge the Blade Dance. Curiously, the Era of Artistry aligns chronologically to the first Xinod spacecraft. It lasted until such time that they had begun to forge their galactic empire. The Age of Inquiry The closing of the Era of Artistry came with the founding of the Colleges, which brought the idea of higher learning to Nys. From there, a new era began- The Age of Inquiry. This age was what first formed the ideas of Nysian self-sufficiency and specialization that we see in their culture today, and allowed a wide berth of skills for any individual, with the help of talented mentors and established practices, rather then the loosely-strewn systems seen beforehand, and still seen in a majority of smaller city states today. The Modern Day The Age of Inquiry lasted until they entered the galactic stage. The first alien interaction came in the form of a probing pirate ship, believed to be part of the ideology that would form the Red Cosmithans. It was a quick, and cheap attack, an attempt at stealing curious alien lifeforms for study and sale to high bidders in Civilized Space. It did not go well, as the would-be captors quickly discovered that above all, Nysians had a drive for freedom, and a seemingly endless onslaught of them ran wholeheartedly into the line of fire. This mass of troops, combined with the dangerous wildlife of Nys, forced a surrender, and eventual killing, of the crew- After months of hard fighting. It was from the distress signal of their craft that a group of inquisitive Tarridan found the planet, and brought it to the attention of the galaxy. In modern day, Nysians are still remarkably new to the galactic stage, though they have come to pick up bits of technology faster than precedent in their culture. They have begun to venture out into the worlds beyond their system. In such time, the three colleges found themselves informally sworn to leadership of the planet. The modern Nysian is a curious beast, seen stalking the streets of Haven and the long alleys of Olympus with a curious stare and a fresh perspective. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Nysians present a way to be a part of a cool and introspective warrior culture with a highly diverse skill set.- Their home world also allows for a new and interesting place to be explored in the Milky Way. Spoiler: Visual aids (Reference art) (Nim) (Weapons) (Ahiyala) Cosigners @zecon125 @TrIpTiCuS @Dorfus @Teldrassil @crumchy @Exon @Caucasian Asian @MaskedHero @TriReef
Hello! I've gone ahead and read through, and I think these guys are just about ready-- But I'd like a few clarifications on things, so I'll be giving this a pending first. I've read through all of the lineages on the Discord and those all seem fine, but there's a few things Pink mentioned in her original grade that I'd still like to see answered. Specifically... – How do they interact with other species? Is cocooning sentient species taboo, or encouraged? – Can they cocoon plants? Additionally... - Due to their lack of large-scale industry, are Nysian ships rare to see? Are Nysian ships all handmade? Also, while the current history suffices I feel it's still a little sparse in some areas. I don't think it's enough to fail them, but I'd like to see more work done there in the future. To me it feels like the pre-history is a lot more fleshed out than their recent history.
Right with clarifications made in Discord (sorry for re-asking those first few questions I was unaware they had been answered in Discord already!). I'll be giving the Nysians their first pass.
