Agh. The pain I feel posting this so late on a Sunday rather than the agreed upon Saturday to Saturday schedule. How dare life do this. Anyways, have fun! This one might have typos or mistakes, tell me if you spot one. Spoiler: The Hylotl Overview The Hylotl are a warlike species of fresh water amphibian once native to the ocean planet of Kaiimaigoki, prior to its invasion by the Floran species and their eventual displacement from it entirely. This single event caused the greatest amount of death in all of Hylotl history, and has left a deep scar on their society that they will not soon forget. Biology Bipedal amphibians from the planet of Kaiimaigoki, the Hylotl possess three eyes and an enhanced sense of depth perception. This curious trait is common to all life on Kaiimaigoki, though the exact circumstances that led to its development are poorly understood. As amphibians, Hylotl possess the ability to breathe both on land and while submerged in fresh water. Breathing salt water is, however, very quickly fatal to most Hylotl. Hylotl are an egg laying species, with a single pregnancy resulting in up to sixteen fertilized eggs, each no bigger than three inches across. These eggs, fertilized or otherwise, are still considered a delicacy within Floran communities. When emerging from their egg, a juvenile Hylotl possesses a tail used to aid in swimming. Prior to reaching sexuality maturity at the age of sixteen, adolescent Hylotl possess neither primary nor secondary sex characteristics, and are referred to with a non-gendered pronoun specific to the Axolotian language. At sixteen, a Hylotl's body develops sexual characteristics based on the sexual demographics of their local community, during this process they also lose their tail. Some Hylotl never develop sexual characteristics, nor drop their tail. These individuals typically maintain the non-gendered pronoun. Depending on the individual, this pronoun is translated as they/them, it/its, or a nonstandard pronoun like ze/zir. Adolescent Hylotl typically are referred to as they/them, however. Because of these traits, Hylotl do not strongly differentiate between gendered roles, even the title of Shogun and Emperor are gender neutral in Axolotian, with many Hylotl finding gendered titles to be a stranger element of the Common language. Despite reaching sexual maturity at 16, the Axolotian government only considers an individual fully capable of self-governance at 25, though this typically applies more strongly to Hylotl that are the ward of the state than those with parents. Hylotl typically live up to the age of 200 without medical intervention, with modern medical technology pushing them to 250, and some even rarely meeting 300. Hylotl are cold blooded, and secrete a thin layer of mucus over their body when on land to defend against colder climates and dehydration. Most Hylotl need to be partially or fully submerged in water at least once a day, though most do this over night while they are asleep. Many Hylotl wear specialized accessories made to heat their bodies, typically worn around the neck, fins, hands, feet, or tail (if applicable). These accessories are sometimes compared to Terran jewelry. Hylotl are capable of regrowing small extremities like fingers and fins on their own, and most are extremely receptive to surgical transplants, which simplifies medical care within Axolotian territory. While this is only true for organic transplants, a Hylotl's body will slowly grow accustomed to fully inorganic implants over several months. Hylotl stand slightly shorter than Humans on average, at 5'5''. While they are omnivorous, they prefer a diet consisting mostly of vegetarian options thanks to both environmental and cultural factors, such as an abundance of low-quality, parasite-laden prey in their ancient habitats. Most Hylotl think of meat as "dirty" in a way that makes them less accustomed to it. Culture War and conflict are exceptionally old traits of Hylotl culture, stemming from the fertility and longevity of the species; because two individuals can give birth to sixteen children, all of which can be expected to live at least one hundred years, Hylotl communities often had extensive territorial disputes with their neighbors, leading to an early history of warfare. These issues continue to plague the modern Hylotl. Axolotian cities are overcrowded, affording little space or privacy to civilians. To reduce population, the Shogunate restricts families to keeping only two of their children, with the rest becoming wards of the state. These children are put into extensive, state-ran boarding schools before being funneled into either the work force or the military. This lack of parental history fosters a personal dependency on and loyalty to the state itself. Overpopulation is less impactful on land, as the urban centers are primarily constructed on the ocean floor. In shallow or dry areas, settlements are typically more spacious. Whether these spacious settlements are wealthy towns owned by a collection of farming families and those profiting off of their capital, or impoverished mining towns supplied by the government, both allow the individuals within more space to themselves. Both groups are typically allowed to keep all of their children, with youth raised in these mining towns typically look at the cities for a chance at freedom, for better or worse. In an attempt to remedy their crowded cities, the Hylotl are doing as they always have: expanding. Civilians are allowed to volunteer for the chance at being selected for colony-building efforts through a state lottery. These lotteries overwhelmingly attract the young and impoverished, who have little to lose and much to gain from the prospect. As a result of this, much of Axolotian youth culture is determined by fledgling colonies at the very edge of their occupied territory, sprouting into a subculture referred to as Maiigo, or stray children. The issue of overpopulation, like many issues of the Hylotl people, are distinctly worse on Axolotia than it ever was on Kaiimaigoki, mostly due to the planet's physical size being larger and its ecosystem better suited to accommodate them. Much work has to be put in by the Shogunate merely to keep the ecosystem of Axolotia afloat, as such. This, combined with the sheer number of casualties suffered during the fall of Kaiimaigoki has cast a dark shadow on Hylotl culture. Even progressive Hylotl have trouble seeing Florans as a sapient species, with the Shogunate officially declaring them as much of a threat to the galaxy as the Ruin is. Otherwise, Axolotian culture is hugely insular. Tourists are seen as either a nuisance or an incredible novelty depending on the demographic you are asking. Younger individuals typically have a better view on cultures outside of their own, unless you are a Floran, of course. Many vital roles once carried out by the Axolotian government have been partially privatized, and handed out to important or historic families to run as a business. While these so-called Dynasty Companies are powerful, Axolotian culture and the strict eye of the Shogunate reminds them that their privilege is only maintained as long as they serve the good of the people. Several families have been dissolved, stripped of power, or even executed for their disloyalty. Elder care is not privatized, and is instead performed by the unparented youth as part of their duties to the state, typically occupying the same space in an adolescent's life as a first job might. As a byproduct of this, the elderly sometimes partially fill the space in a child's life that a parent might. Shrimp and crustaceans are seen as a poverty food by Axolotians. This is due to the fact they can be farmed in large numbers and cheaply offered as filler in a larger meal, but also due to a traditional fondness for the animals, with many being kept as pets. For many, devouring them is reminiscent of dire times after fleeing Kaiimaigoki, when food was scarce and some families had to resolve to eating said pets. The majority of Hylotl do not consider themselves religious, nor concern themselves very often with thoughts of gods, but a baseline level of spiritual underlies their society. This spiritualism is semi-animistic, concerning itself with the mechanics of the natural world rather than strict ideas about the afterlife. More religious cultures of Hylotl do exist, and share the same baseline spiritualism, though they afford more thoughts to spirits, gods, and worlds beyond this one. Some of these religious cultures taught martial arts as part of their beliefs, including Wave; an ancient technique centered around an individual's breathing as method of tempering themselves and maintaining control during conflict. Before the Galactic War, the Shogunate took particular interest in Wave, as individuals practicing the technique seemed to be able to output more force than physically possible. Many monasteries did not answer the Shogunate when questions came to their door, fearing their ancient ways being used as a weapon. These monasteries were branded as traitors, and forced to aid in the project. Many of them were never seen again, while wiser monasteries such as the Ryashi Order fled Axolotia entirely when their peers began to go missing. No matter the outcome, veterans sometimes speak of fighting something more like a monk than a soldier on the front lines of Axolotia, who moved with unnatural grace and struck with supernatural force. Some of these monks, including those fighting the closest to Florus, carried simple blades with them, which seemed to be able to cut clear through the primitive armor of the Florans. As a result, Axolotia still sees the sword as a symbol of hope, and defiance against oppressors. Because of their high population and the stress it is forced to operate in, the Hylotl experience by far the most psionic awakenings of any civil nation. Most of them forced, and tending toward devastation for the local area they occur in, and resulting in the death of the psion in the process. The sheer number of awakenings that occur make it impossible to hide their existence, with the Hylotl viewing these more as a kind of natural disaster rather than abreak in causality. Psychics that manage to survive their awakening are very quickly filed into the government for study or utilization. This has the unintended affect that powerful psions are forced to make a violent escape from their government, often fleeing into the Fringe for their own safety. History The ancient ancestor to the Hylotl first appeared on the shallows of Kaiimaigoki before evolving to reach steadily further and further into the ocean in pursuit of prey. These proto-Hylotl were a middle step in the food chain, often victim to more predatory or scavenging species that would steal roe from their nests. In response, the Hylotl evolved to produce a redundant amount of fertile roe, allowing their numbers to stay at a healthy size. As they grew to use tools, this adaptation eventually became something of a burden on their species, with rival bands of Hylotl coming into conflict very often. While agriculture did not develop within their societies for a very long time, the threat of other Hylotl or greater predators mandated that they stay in large, rather settled communities. Kaiimaigoki was, and still is host to a variety of megafauna, many of which predated on the Hylotl and still do given the opportunity. As Hylotl developed, much of their infrastructure was put in place to keep these beasts contained and away from population centers, though it was never one hundred percent effective. This issue was one of many reasons the Floran were able to take over Kaiimaigoki, as many of the predatory species fail to recognize them as food due to their floral nature. Following an early history of extensive warfare, a singular group was eventually crowned as ruler over the entire planet, and their leader fitted with the title of Emperor. This dynasty ruled for many long generations as their technology advanced toward the modern era, then into the space age. Around the year 2600, the Hylotl begin to colonize their solar system and beyond, unaware of how vital this would eventually be for them. In 2833, Kaiimaigoki is attacked by a threat from outside of the solar system. Utilizing scavenged ships, the Floran engage their closest neighbor in war. For a time the Hylotl are unaware of what they are dealing with, nor how to fight a visitor from space. Capitalizing on this uncertainty, the Floran are able to take significant territory, eventually managing to kill the imperial family of Kaiimaigoki in what the Shogunate insists was a stroke of blind luck. While this action alone should not have been enough to capture the planet, the late emperor's advisors, knowing more of the situation, proceed to underestimate the harm caused by the Florans, and squabble amongst each other in an attempt to gain power. By 2838, many of the intricate systems the Hylotl relied on for daily life had atrophied as the Florans advanced. Seeing no other option, the emperor's chief military advisor takes matters into her own hands, and kills her rivals. Declaring herself as Shogun, she leads a short campaign to unite the remaining cities, before launching as many of her people as possible into space with the goal of settling on the then newly-discovered ocean planet of Axolotia. Without a leader, Kaiimaigoki falls to the Florans, where it remains to this day. During their flight, they make incidental first contact with the Novakid, who are happy to come to their aid, ferrying even more refugees away from their fallen homeworld as they begin reconstruction. The Hylotl scrape themselves back to modernity, but with a decidedly more militant culture, promoting growth and expansion over an exceptionally short period of time. Now fueled by rage and despair, the Hylotl no longer see war as a necessary deed for claiming territory, but as the only method by which to reclaim their planet, and with it their dignity as a species. In 3185, the Hylotl begin an unprovoked campaign against the Florans, taking them by surprise instead. Their technology, the sole focus of their industry for many years, easily dwarfs what the Florans are capable of. For a time, 40% of Floran territory is conquered by the Hylotl, who see no reason to cease hostilities until no Floran remains. By 3190, the Apex intervene in this conflict, pushing back the Hylotl in a successful show of force intended to show off their military prowess. With their armada crippled, the Hylotl declare an indefinite ceasefire. During the ceasefire, the Hylotl look inwards for military might. Unable to beat the Apex in technological pursuits, they instead focus on the religious aspects of their society, studying ancient martial arts for any shred of use. It is in this desperation that they find and begin to exploit the sacred martial art of Wave, and discover its psychic properties in the process. It is also at this time the Ryashi Order flees Axolotian space, deciding it is no longer safe for them as their peers start to vanish. In 3211, the Hylotl and the Florans are the first to start the Galactic War, both attempting to seize as much territory as possible in order to counter the other's land claims. In the process, the rest of the alarmed galactic powers begin to reach for as much territory as possible, and hostilities begin shortly thereafter. During the war, the Axolotian armada is an incredibly offensive force, utilizing every bit of might they can with the intention of fighting back the Florans and eventually taking back their home. They stop at nothing in this goal, from manufactured disease to specialized weapons of mass destruction. One particularly devastating weapon is dubbed Black Blight; hostile nanites intended to devour all living things on a planet. At least one Floran world is rendered barren by the blight, with many more being devastated by its impact, some areas being uninhabitable even in the modern day. By the end of the war, the Hylotl still do not have control of Kaiimaigoki, but have made incredible claims in territory and cut back a considerable portion of the space which the Florans would have otherwise occupied. They sign the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica with some protest, but understand it largely as a temporary cessation in hostility during which they can prepare for their next move. Since, the border space between Florans and Hylotl has seen continued skirmishing, with recent battles getting larger and larger. Player Details The Hylotl are another group that has gotten a decent amount of tuning since their last major lore write-up. This time, I've decided to remove a lot of the stated eugenics, as well as several decidedly heavy-handed parallels to Japan as of WW2. This is in an attempt to better differentiate the Hylotl from being just Japan, as well as due to it feeling both out of place and a little insensitive. It's just kind of a cheap way of making their society horrific. That being said, I recognize that it's been part of their lore for a long time, and its utter removal would cause issues, so instead they are merely less important, implied eugenics. With that being said, Hylotl are amphibians but they're also fish people, with fish people traits. You can give them a variety of neat bits, like prehensile tendrils originating from their scalp in place of fins, or shark teeth that continually regrow. Do whatever you want, I won't stop you. While a lot has been done to make them not just Japanese, the language of Axolotia is still represented as the Japanese language for ease of understanding, and also because doing anything else would result in me advising you to make up Japanese sounding gibberish, which seems worse! The Axolotian language has a strong somatic component that Japanese does not, which is largely utilized while submerged- Though Hylotl biology allows for them to speak semi-clearly while underwater. A lot of people have generally understood Hylotl as being like, Cyberpunk by default, and while that's the broad example set by Starbound, I personally want to move away from it. You can still take inspiration from it, but the factors involved means it can not be 1:1. Dynasty companies are not megacorporations, as they work for the government rather than superseding it, and do not have nearly as much control over the Hylotl. Scarily, Florans were the first contact for the Hylotl, which is part of why it took them by such incredible surprise. Despite this, the Shogunate does not even register the Floran as a sapient species, and instead state that their first encounter with intelligent alien life was with the Novakid. Almost all Hylotl from Axolotia have a strong distrust and hatred for the Florans. The fall of their planet is still very impactful on them, and almost none of them are deciding that the Florans were actually the victims of that or any other sympathetic lead. The Hylotl like the Novakid, being especially early to meet and trade with them in large numbers, but compared to the Florans almost all other thoughts about the other species are moot. They have a passive disdain toward the Apex due to the events of 3190, and hold great sympathy for the Xadari due to them also losing their homeworld. The Froggs are a subspecies of Hylotl, but uniquely still have a large population on Kaiimaigoki. This is thanks to the fact that they do not taste very good, like at all, so the Florans don't care about them one way or the other. Gamemaster Details It's stated above but I will say it again here. Dynasty companies are NOT megacorporations, do not treat them as such. They're big and impactful and powerful but they aren't like, the only game in town. They're just big monopolies used as a way of contracting private business by the government while securing loyalty. There's a lot of little impacts of the Hylotl on the Fringe due to their time in the Galactic War, most famously they were the creators of Black Blight, which is such an intricate creation that the Fringe is not capable of making it almost at all. It isn't clear IC whether or not they're still making it, but they definitely are. They want so badly to use it all on Florus and kill the Florans for good. There isn't a lot of specifically Hylotl loot in the setting, largely because everyone wants a slice of the pie that is anime bullshit. The most unique things they have are Wave- which has its own subdocument- and like, hydroplating. They utilize Hadium because it occurs naturally on Kaiimaigoki and as such occupies a place of cherished tradition in their culture. The Hylotl government does not just tacitly understand the basics of psionics, they are pretty advanced as far as Civilized Space powers go about it, having a full understanding of Wave and employing it deliberately for their efforts. This actively undermines other groups in CivSpace that attempt to keep psionics under wraps, but the Shogunate is not a stoic and all-knowing group that will sacrifice things for the greater good. They are using all of their leverage possible to get their homeworld back. A lot of Wave users in the Fringe are survivors of the First Galactic War, turned into something like a hippie or a grizzled war veteran. Use them in your plots as needed. Spoiler: Hylotl Youth Overview While the Shogunate and much of their government prioritizes stable tradition over all else while pushing toward the goal of retaking Kaiimaigoki, the youth of Axolotia aren't so unchanging. For many, their time spent on frontier colonies has allowed them to reflect on a particular set of countercultural beliefs; often explained as an anti-war and pro-Floran sentiment, but the truth is decidedly more complex. Maiigo Literally translated as "Stray Children", Maiigo is the most prominent youth culture in Hylotl space, originating from far-flung frontier colonies on otherwise inhospitable planets. These diminutive colonies are free of many stressful connotations found in urban centers throughout Axolotia, and have a population that is majority youth. This is thanks in part to health concerns made by the Shogunate in deciding who gets sent, but also due to the lottery system used prioritizing those who do not feel particularly attached to their day-to-day life. Maiigo is culturally free-spirited, putting heavy emphasis on personal liberty, individuality, and freedom from burden. These ideals are naturally at odds with urban life, and can only persist in the colonist's privileged position. As such, they also believe that the Shogunate should shift its resources away from the military and toward the goal of rapid expansionism, especially onto inhospitable planets like their own. This expansionist mindset fosters a negative view of the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica, but only as a matter of principle; most understand that it will be a very long time before they run out of solar systems within their borders. Likewise, Maiigo is not necessarily pro-Floran either. The most progressive youth view Florans as an invasive species which needs to be contained on Florus, rather than eradicated entirely. However, they believe that the desire to retake Kaiimaigoki is short-sighted, and will result in the loss of too many lives to be worth it in the long run. As such, they wish to be free of the shadow it casts on their people. These beliefs are kept quiet, as the frontier colonies still answer to governors appointed by the Shogunate, and only a certain amount of dissidence is tolerated. Fashion and hobbies in these colonies are largely a matter of necessity. All colonists receive specialized, fluid-filled void suits that keep them both hydrated and breathing while outside of colony borders, referred to colloquially as flood suits. Mobility tech within the suit makes the sensation of spacewalking more akin to swimming for the user, often fostering a fondness for the void in colonists; many going so far as to spend much of their free time outside of the colony. Thanks to all of this, flood suits have become a somewhat iconic uniform for the subculture, and many take great pride in decorating their own with stickers, patches, or small accessories. The frontier colonies that produce Maiigo culture are typically a very low priority, being dedicated either to research or being set up solely as a temporary station for later terraforming projects once the technology becomes more useful. Hylotl that are sent out receive a small income from the Shogunate, which is typically spent on luxury items to be shipped out as part of their monthly supplies. To prevent these colonies from becoming overpopulated, most colonists are made to undergo surgery to make them infertile. A predictable and undesirable outcome of this procedure has been an environment of free love within Maiigo communities, which the Shogunate is attempting to stifle. Some colonies have attempted to declare themselves independent, but none have been recognized by Civilized Space; most of these declarations do not make it any further than the planetary governor, as none of the colonies are fully self-sufficient. Delinquents Maiigo culture relies heavily on the physical circumstances of the colonies that it was born in, but it doesn't just stay in the colonies. Making its way back to Axolotian cities, Maiigo changes to fit a new role. While still referred to as Maiigo, the individuals who practice it brandish the countercultural term "delinquent" as a mark of pride. Delinquents spend much of their time pursuing atypical leisure not supported by traditional culture, such as street racing, parkour, or urban exploration. Particularly savvy delinquents often get into hacking and engineering. Delinquents are decidedly more "punk" in their presentation, donning decommissioned void suits from the First Galactic War as a substitute for the iconic flood suit, emblazoning them with personal iconography and gadgets just like the colonists they admire. This gives them a more violent appearance than the colonists, which is not wholly undeserved; In their admiration is also jealousy for not having been chosen as colonists. A sense of not belonging is core to their behaviors, and many value their lives very little as a result. The majority of protests or riots done in the name of Maiigo goals are done by delinquents. This lifestyle inclines psychically potent delinquents toward forced awakenings, knowledge of which has created an element of occultism to urban Maiigo that is not present within the colonies at all. Player Details I don't have a lot to say here. I'll note that Juno from Overwatch 2 is a heavy inspiration for what flood suits might look like. They're probably not as skin tight because they have a layer of water present in them, but I like fish bowl helmets. Imagine a fish bowl helmet with a bunch of stickers slapped onto it against the user's better judgement. That's the vibe. They don't all need to look like this, though, it's just the baseline. The colonies themselves are kind of low tech, and they're always on planets that are either fully devoid of life or like, as habitable as Mars is. They don't have breathable atmospheres. Don't picture big sprawling things with atmospheric generators, picture a small town's worth of buildings connected by tunnels with Martian rovers around. The exact technology kept a flood suit is left ambiguous for a reason. I imagine a lot of delinquents have like, Lynx on them though to help with parkouring and sneaking into abandoned government warehouses. A lot of colonists will modify them to go faster and race them. This is seen as a bad idea by the Shogunate, but they also encourage colonists to get very used to maneuvering in space. Delinquents get a lot of the cool anime motifs about being a special psychic guy pursued by the government or whatever. They're the bit where you get a lot of the cool Cyberpunk characterization, but remember that Axolotian space is NOT Cyberpunk 2077 and they're still controlled by a government, not by big corporations. They also don't have quite the same dependency on technology. Gamemaster Details There isn't a lot to say here because a lot of the details above are explicitly about cultures that are only present in Civilized Space, but be aware these are things that exist and you can call on. There are probably societies in the Fringe that are made by former colonists that wanted to go full on with being an independent group or whatever. Flood suits might be a cool bit of tech to give out if you have a reason for it. Delinquents are pretty often pushed out of Hylotl space because they're directly operating against the government, so there is a lot of precedent for very talented hackers of a very young age (for Hylotl) being present in the Fringe. Some of them are even occultists that might have psychic powers. A lot of them probably end up on obscure internet forums or shadowy groups of like-minded psions. Spoiler: Hirohiko / "Wave" Overview Hirohiko, called Wave by the Fringe, is a specialized martial art practiced by traditionalist Hylotl, including various religious groups and monasteries. The primary focus of Wave, which differentiates it from other martial arts, is the importance of your breathing during any motion. A Wave user concentrates on their breathing as a way of staying grounded and in control of the battle, and most are not entirely aware of the true origin of this technique. Through this practice, Wave users are capable of achieving feats beyond the mundane, though the art does not exist solely through anomalous individuals. As a mundane martial art, it does exactly what it sets out to do, but as a tool through which a psion focuses their flux, it can achieve devastating effects, but only so long as the core principle of steady breathing is maintained. Any break in the rhythm is a drastic set back to a person practicing these techniques. Axolotia During the lead up to the First Galactic War, the Shogunate of Axolotia was desperate for a military edge over the Ministry of Knowledge, and looked to their culture for such answers. When the pacifistic monasteries which traditionally taught Hirohiko did not answer their questions, they were seized instead. Many monks were made to teach under the threat of death, and most did not survive the encounter. Many of the most devout took their own lives before their secrets could be understood and made into a weapon of war. Asa result, the Shogunate's understanding of Wave is incomplete, and they are actively looking to remedy this issue. All soldiers under Axolotia are taught Hirohiko, though most know it as a means to teach soldiers temperance and discipline, not properly grasping the underlying principles just beyond the natural world. Those that do, however, are made to practice it at a much more engaged level, becoming part of a specialized group within the military, to be sent to the front lines on very important battles, such as those landing particularly close to Kaiimaigoki, or Florus. In the Fringe, most practitioners of Wave are veterans of the First Galactic War who have been made no longer useful to Axolotia through one disability or another. Here, they take on new lives attempting to find peace after all they've learned, or continue their life of violence to some unseen end, seizing the promise of bloodshed that the Fringe offers endlessly. The Ryashi Order According to legend, the Ryashi Order is a secretive and secluded band of monks dating back to Kaiimaigoki's early history. This group is understood to be the last true masters of Wave, understanding the deepest depths of the practice, and guarding this knowledge closely. Unlike the students of Axolotia, the Ryashi Order understands Wave as a peaceful practice, taking vows of pacifism that they only violate under threat of death. In the Fringe, the Ryashi Order is fractured, and in Civilized Space, it is hiding. Finding a real member of the order is incredibly difficult, and convincing them to train you is almost impossible. As a rule, any member of the order or any disciple of their practices is made to take four great vows, called the "Four Goods". Do no harm to life, organic or inorganic, unless to save another. Never to take up arms and stray from the path of peace. Spread peace as water across smooth sands; gentle yet powerful. Preserve yourself, knowledge, and life. To their most trusted disciples, they offer the burden of their knowledge: The healing power of Hirohiko. Advanced Wave Techniques The following are advanced techniques that branch out of the Wave common ability. Advanced techniques are a new mechanic being added to the psionic system in a later rework, which will be revealed after all of the species receive their update. Until then, consider this a sneak peek. As such, the format may change between now and the later psionics rework. If that is true, the format will be updated here and this line will be edited out. When learning an advanced technique, a psion accrues less dissonance if they know the common ability it branches off of. Some advanced techniques do not require you to know the root ability, but this is not true for any of the techniques that branch off of Wave. Some techniques have prerequisites that must be met to learn them, such as having access to a knowledgeable teacher. Wave Art "Leap" | Medium Dissonance | Must have Wave. The psion expends 5% Flux to propel themselves up to four meters from a solid surface. This can be performed once in a turn without interrupting the psion's breathing. The force generated can break weaker surfaces. Wave Art "Carve" | Medium Dissonance | Must have Wave. The psion extends vibrations into a bladed weapon, allowing it to function as a vibroblade without expending Flux. They may also increase the strength and speed of their blade for 5% Flux per swing. Wave Art "Inferno" | Medium Dissonance | Must have Wave. While performing another Wave manuever, the psion may expend an additional 5% Flux to create flames from a vibrating object. These flames are typically short-lived, and do not harm the psion if performed on their own body. Hirohiko Counter-Force | High Dissonance | Must have Wave | Must have a Teacher. The psion expends 15% Flux and vibrates their body in opposition to a blunt impact, weakening or nullifying the damage. Envoyism | Medium Dissonance | Must have Wave | Must have a Teacher. The psion expends 5% Flux to increase their sensitivity to vibrations, strengthening their sense of touch an hearing. This requires concentration. Ryashi Meditation | High Dissonance | Must have Wave | Must have a Teacher from the Ryashi Order. The psion enters a heightened state and begins to inspire Flux through breathing. Every turn spent without attacking or getting winded, the psion regains 5% Flux. Requires both concentration and steady breathing. Getting winded while using this ability drains 15% Flux. Ryashi Healing | High Dissonance | Must have Wave | Must have a Teacher from the Ryashi Order. The psion expends 10% Flux to staunch bleeding and promote the flow of blood. When done within a pool of water over several hours, the psion may promote natural healing in the body. This is especially useful to Hylotl, who can regenerate limbs with it. This may be done to any individual the psion can touch, including themself. Ryashi Resurrection | High Dissonance | Must have Wave | Must have a Teacher from the Ryashi Order. The psion expends 75% Flux to fully resuscitate the dead, so long as their body yet has breath in it. The psion can perform this on themself. Player Details You can absolutely make characters that are either former Wave users under the Axolotian military, or of the Ryashi Order. Characters of the Ryashi Order function as teachers for other characters, but keep in mind that teaching their special brand of Wave techniques to other people is kind of a big fucking deal to them, and only the real masters know the Resurrection ability. Gamemaster Details Part of the upcoming psionics rework is that we'll be removing some of the restrictions on using psionics for plot lines, mostly to do with the extensive red tape in apping every little thing. When that comes around, you'll be able to freely make guys that know Wave in accordance with those rules. The Ryashi Order believes in preserving their teachings, though they try to make sure the high-level knowledge doesn't fall into the wrong hands. There's totally like, scrolls and manuals out there that teach the basics of Wave and a few advanced techniques that you can use as loot items if you want to. A scroll or manual definitely counts as a teacher for prerequisite reasons.
