Post by kaptainjohnson on Jan 21, 2015 14:52:33 GMT -5
Synrians
Born in huge ‘batches’ from a single queen(or in some cases with especially large colonies, a queen will be complemented by a number of smaller ‘princesses’) they all initially begin as drones – humanoid insects or arachnids often with a slender frame, and different characteristics to help them with survival depending on the region their spawned in, these base features such things as wings or multiple legs, these specific example normally associated with mountain ranges.
To begin with, drones are left to fend for themselves in the wilderness, away from the main hive. These masses often split into different ‘tribes’ or mini-hives and split up, proceeding to travel the surrounding landscape. After a period of 5-10 years, these drones will slowly change, and eventually define their role as they are finally drawn back to the main hive – what brings them back is unknown, but largely assumed to be the queen using magic to call back her matured offspring. A large majority die by the time the ‘batch’ does return, but this serves the purpose of weeding out the weak and incompetent in their number, ensuring those apart of the hive will be useful for its progression.
As they enter the main hive, one of the first things that happens is that they begin to seal themselves in cocoons of varying colours and materials, and sorted into the various archetypes. The most common are as follows; One’s who form hardened pods around themselves are destined to be the soldiers and labour force of the hive – their time spent as a drone consisting of tearing their foes apart, hunting with their bare hands and being the general muscle of the small tribes; Those that have a particularly leathery or slippery encasing are often the scouts, rangers and assassins – being the spotters and lookouts as they developed, and in possession of cunning, dropping down from the treetops or pouncing from ambush; Others are wrapped in a multihued blanket, rainbow coloured or constantly changing hue – These are the scholars, mages and seers of the hive, their time spent less on hunting and killing, but more on creating simple traps and equipment for their brethren, and when push comes to shove out smarting foes and luring them into various hazards they know how to safely avoid.
Though there does exist a special variety, which only occurs once in every hundred or so that survive, and these are the lords, alphas and nobility. Though any drone may rise to nobility and a place of status through surviving and growing stronger as time passes, ‘Alphas’ have a head start, even as drones being stronger, faster and possessing an intelligence above the rest. These often form ‘courts’, and indeed, once their bodies improve they often stay together, forming a sort of houses usually lead by a ‘princesses’. And on the topic of ‘evolving’, they don’t change in such a linear way as the others – where others would become specialized, ‘Alphas’ have characteristics associated with all the various archetypes, being competent fighters and tricksters as well as often possessing some form of magic. And at least one of them in the court will turn into a ‘princesses’, and act as the ‘house’ leader.
In any case, all these will have characteristics that will help them survive, and there is a huge amount of variety between each one of them, which has the added benefit of giving the gene pool a good amount of variation.
Culture
As drones, they are feral, primitive things, hunter gatherers and nomads using stone and wood weaponry and tools, some of the tribes with a large number of to become Seer drones having such things as farming and knowledge of how to herd cattle. On the other hand, one’s with more violent drones will be complete savages, hunting with their claws and be more a kin to predators then tribesmen. Though however they form, they are hostile to all expect their own species – travel into Synrian territory is discouraged without Hive Warriors to escort them to avoid unneeded deaths by the primitive drones, as well as prevent lost potential on their side as well.
In the Hive, they are strong workers who toil away at their work, and are largely left to their own devices as long as it benefits the Hive in one way or another, which they are all too eager to do. To begin with, as their roles are defined and formed, they begin to come together – Warriors begin making combat squads ready to defend the hive, eventually forming battalions as more squads link up; Seers seek each others presence, mage circles and science teams, which eventually spawn into schools and academies, and so on. You would think that this would end in chaos, with no supervision and no restriction, but these are carried out orderly and efficiently, no doubt this sense of order ingrained into their very genes.
Soon enough, their snatched up by a budding ‘house’ – though the queen holds sway over the Hive, houses still need workers and advisors to aid them in their rise, and one day set out with a huge expeditionary force and create an entirely new Hive, and coronate their ‘Princesses’ as a queen.
As far as law and order, there is none, apart from the queens royal guard who only set out when the Hive is in danger to bring the ‘houses’ together, or to prevent a feud getting far too out of hand and creating a civil war. Punishments are administered by individuals and houses, and each individual is effectively his own officer, and each house considered a small government. Murder is not considered a punishable offence – of course, unless it removes a particularly valuable member to the Hive, or heaven’s forbid, a queen or ‘princesses’, and these often entitle harsh penalties, and it isn’t unheard for entire ‘houses’ to be removed as to prevent the possible destruction of other ‘houses’.
Due to this freedom, countless beliefs have sprang up, often a different set of ideals for every different ‘house’ within the Hive. However, there is one belief that remains true to all of them, and that they are here to benefit the Hive in any way, shape or form.
Hives
Hives are the term to refer to the settlements created by Synrians, vast mazes of underground caverns which expand each day as new tunnels are dug out, and spaces expanded to accept in more ascended drones. Each Hive also has one queen, the grand ruler and mother to all living within the Hive. Hives range from outposts dug into mountainsides to city like sprawling labyrinths hidden under the earth, where no one but the Synrians would be able to navigate.
On the founding of Hive’s, when a Hive reaches a certain size, often the size of a town – the maximum size their allowed to remain hidden and to keep the empires wrath away - it will begin sending out ‘courts’. These will set out and look for lands yet unclaimed, and in more recent years this often means going to the more dangerous sections of the world, or otherwise find small pieces of land they can construct towers – an all too common sight these days, their borders lined with these such towers, often the size of villages.
Further details on the race
‘Ascension’
This is the process of which defines their role, making a drone into a warrior, a man of cunning or seer, but this does not just happen once. Over their life time, as they grow older and gain experience they eventually ‘Ascend’ again, growing stronger, faster or more powerful corresponding in how they further went on to deal with the world. And these further ‘Ascensions’ allows the Synrian to change their main aspect entirely – a mage might have to utilize the strength he has, and upon his next rebirth finds his arms more akin to bludgeons and his chitin thicker, tougher.
Another side effect is it rejuvenates their body, making them, in theory, immortal as they continuously ‘Ascend’, though this is rarely the case, often dying as they set out for new homes, crushed in cave in’s or the victim of a coup to rise in the ranks.
But eventually, they must finally choose their permanent role after their fourth rebirth – usually at the ages of 16-20, where their final year will dictate what they become. It is usually recommended to make the decision far earlier then the final year, as their previous rebirths still contribute, allowing them to be as proficient in their chosen path as possible.
Later on in their lives, further ‘Ascensions’ can take place, bolstering their power as they ‘evolve’ each time, but such things are risky. If the proper time isn’t taken, the proper lessons learned and experiences witnessed, without the right preparations made, things can go…Badly. Some may lose their minds, while others explode in magical energy, and the few that die to their own deadly venom. While others become something worse