What's new
Frozen in Carbonite

Welcome to FiC! Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

A World of Monsters. (An Encyclopedia on the creatures of the world of Null.)

Would you like to know more?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Yes.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hell Yes.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • What is this!? Who are you people!?

    Votes: 2 66.7%

  • Total voters
    3
(No critter tomorrow, but Saturday is Halloween day and with it comes a very special critter that will be wrapping up our spooky creature bonanza. When that comes along, a question will be answered that I'm sure at least some of you have been having. Repeatedly, time and time again, we've been told that the various super-predators of this death world can't actually eat the members of the Civilized Races. So, to for some of you, a question has formed: 'What can eat them?' This Halloween will have the answer: The one creature all Civilized Races of Null fear above all others.

See you all then!)
 
Where do the lies end and the truth begins? Only TripleMRed knows. 😛
 
Bloodsucker.
Bloodsucker.

[Interestingly, the sketch section for this page of the book appears to be covered up by digital notes, all saying 'NO NO NO' on them.

...

...

Beneath the digital notes are sketches of the beast. It is a tall, long limbed and with fine, lanky muscles on its frame. Patches of fur exist to cover up the groin and chest, and a short, furless tail extends out of the base of their spine. It stands digitigrade , sharp inch long claws on its feet, with sketches showing it moving at great speeds thanks to this leg design. The hands are tipped with claws several inches in length, sharp as obsidian and able to cleave through tank plating like it was nothing. The most terrifying aspect, however, is the head: It is canid like, with a long snout and pointed ears, the nose seemingly gone and thus giving the head a skull like quality to it. A pair of large fangs poke out from its lips and some sketches show it smiling, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The eyes are slitted and almost seem to have an unnatural gleam to the in the sketches. Other sketches show the beast feed, draining its victims of their blood as they struggle in their grasp to no avail. Some creatures in the sketches appear distinctly female and are no more horrifying or brutal than their male counterparts.

It is like the unholy fusion between a werewolf and a vampire.]

Scientific Name Translation: Blood Dog, Diabolic Hellhound, Devil Dog, Blood Feeder [An official note is attached. It reads 'Scientific Name under debate.']

Average Size: ~2.7 meters/~9 feet in height,.

Average Weight: 1840 lbs/834.6kgs.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females have more feminine figures and notable breasts which the males lack entirely.

Habitat Range: All Biomes.

Summary:​
Allow me to preface this entry by saying in no uncertain terms that this is a creature that is no longer alive. The Bloodsucker has been hunted to extinction in the wild and is thus now little more than a bad memory for our kind. However, extinct or not, it would do us all well in order to remember the monster that terrorized us and our ancestors for so many centuries, lest we forget the horrors that afflicted us all.

Before anything else, we must go over the details of how these creatures came to be and their relationship with the Civilized Races of Null, particularly us Oros. To begin, the Bloodsucker is not a naturally occurring creature. They were not part of Weaver Null's designs and plans for this world nor for us. These beasts were specifically engineered and unleashed upon the world by an Uplifter, one who was tried, found guilty, and destroyed by the rest of his kind for this action in such a way that not even its name survived to the modern day. What we do know of it is that this Uplifter believed that Null was too easy for the Mortals that called it come, that the Civilized Races did not have enough challenges. Thus, it created the Bloodsuckers, true monsters.

These beasts were first created and unleashed 8000 years ago, about 5000 years before the Prophet Am came into being and a 1000 years after the first modern day Nation arose, the Royalbacks. In this time, the Bloodsuckers were numerous and ruled the world with a cruel and bloody fist. We, particularly the Oros but also the Chimera and Cerberi, were nothing if not cattle for these beasts. Whole towns and villages were kept as feeding stock for the beasts, who marked their personal prey by scarring their faces to deter other Bloodsuckers from taking their property. This period of time lasted about 200 years. The youngest of the races that would have formed the Great Nations, known as the Ghost Dancers in the modern day, were rendered completly extinct. This all changed, however, when the first masks were created. Crafted en masse by the Bloody Ones who had been driven into hiding from the onslaught of Bloodsuckers, the masks hid the faces of the Oros who wore them, causing the Bloodsuckers to lose track of what prey was their own. When they came in close to investigate and find their prey, the united Oros fought back and slayed their oppressors through sheer force of weight and numbers.


With the fall of their dominion over us, the Bloodsuckers, whose numbers had never been truly great, fell into hiding, stalking and striking from deep within the darkest corners of the world. The masks became a common facet of Oros culture from then on and would continue to exist as part of our society until the extinction of the Bloodsucker in recent centuries and the building of the Great Walled Cities. With the deaths of our long-standing predators, many now forgo wearing masks as they see it as a symbol of the old days of fear and pain.

During the time of their existence, the Bloodsuckers were infamous due to their unique ability among all of Null's animal life to feed upon the flesh of Civilized Races. The reason for this is as simple as it is horrible: They were us. Bloodsuckers were constructed by the long dead Rogue Uplifter using the Oros DNA as a base, with Bloodsuckers sharing 99% of the Oros genetic genome. They were made by taking an existing medical condition that results in blood-drinking Oros, known as 'Bloody Ones', and twisting it into the monstrous need to feed that consumed the Bloodsuckers' whole existence. This relationship made their twisted, bestial forms all the more terrifying for the Oros, knowing that these beasts were, on some level, fellow Oros, ones who wished to feed upon the blood of their unaltered kin.

The weapons of the Bloodsucker was numerous. Their teeth and claws could break through virtually any armor with ease, their claws in particular having morphic capabilities that allowed them to be as sharp as obsidian on demand and always harder than diamond regardless of sharpness. These claws also have the ability to leave permanent scars on flesh capable of regeneration such as our own. These claws have are enhanced beyond what is natural, allowing them to cleave through any non-unbreakable material with ease, be it mundane flesh and bone, rune augmented enhanced power armor, or the flesh of the supernatural such as spirits and the like.

Their strength was far in excess to their lithe, lean muscled forms, able to outmatch a Cerberus in open combat. Their speed, agility, and cunning all allow them to excel at ambush, and their vocalizations carried with them an instinctual fear in all who heard it, allowing them to disorient any they encountered. The only saving grace is that the unbreakable bones of their Oros origin were lost in their creation. This is little comfort to those that fought them, however, as their sheer durability meant that even armor piercing railgun shots were unable to breach their skeletal structure with ease, merely cracking and micro-fracturing the impact sites. This durability bordered on the supernatural, allowing them to survive even with the loss of more than 50% of their bodily tissue, with a simple drink of blood being enough to kickstart their healing back to full strength.

The worst quality, however, was their intellect. This intelligence granted them a cruelty and sadism few creatures could match, with Bloodsuckers intentionally leaving some of their victims alive and in agony so their screams of pain could lure in new prey. They have been observed torturing their prey by letting them think that escape is within their grasp, or that they could reach a medical station, only to be dragged away at the last possible second by the Bloodsucker that toyed with them. This intellect also meant they avoided feeding on children outright, even after the loss of their control of the Oros people. This had nothing to do with morality and everything to do with pragmatism: A child is a poor food source compared to an adult and has the ability to produce more of its kind later on. You do not kill the young in a herd, after all, you kill the older members and wait for the young to grow up, have children of their own, and then become possible food in the future. All children who encounter a Bloodsucker have survived, but always with a marking or scar of some kind on their faces to mark them as the future food of that particular Bloodsucker.

Furthermore, the Bloodsucker came in multiple variants. The slower moving Tar-Man variant suffered a defect that causes their Sentinel Bacteria to overproduce, causing them to be drenched in a sludge like material that was flammable but which was thick enough that the flames never reached the Tar-Man below. The Pygmy variant was much, much less durable than the main-line, but made up for it by attacking in packs. The most dangerous of all, however, was the Aetherbane, a beast with access to Aetherworks that allowed the most powerful of them to alter reality on a localized level to suit their needs. All of these were hunted down and destroyed alongside the rest of their kind.

The reproductive methods of the Bloodsuckers was a mystery for a long, long time. Nobody had ever witnessed them mating with one another and lived to tell about it, and males and females of their kind treated each other no differently than they treated others of the same sex. We only know what their young look like thanks to carefully monitored experiments that create new Bloodsuckers by harvesting and combining germ cells from male and female Bloodsuckers slain in the field. These young are wild and animalistic, but surprisingly can be raised to be amicable and non-threatening creatures. This disturbingly indicates that the sadism of Bloodsucker is not, in fact, instinctive: It is learned behavior.

In the thousands of years that document them and their interactions with the Civilized Races of Null, there have been those that break from the norm. Some ignored the Civilized Races entirely, and a handful even acted as protectors to Civilized Races against the rest of their ilk. These shining beacons of decency, however, were nowhere near enough to prevent this predatory species from being marked for destruction. Many rightfully morn the loss of 'the good ones', the Bloodsuckers that rose above their brutal taught natures. In the end, however, their losses were acceptable to destroy this species that actively hunted our kind for millennia.

The last of the Bloodsuckers was hunted down and destroyed in the wild over a hundred years ago as of the time of this writing. The only remaining examples are ones bred in a lab, of which only less than a half dozen remain, and of which are scheduled for decommissioning and storage in stasis pods out of the fear that they may one day turn against us. There are many, most of them of the younger generation that did not live through the ages where Bloodsuckers were in the wilds that argue against this decision. I cannot pass judgement on these young people, for they know not the horrors of the days long passed, though a part of me cannot help but admit that there is reason in their collective voices, that it is wrong for us to treat these lab-borne Bloodsuckers with such fear and suspicion. This is only a small part of me, however, for the rest cannot help but feel relief that this long nightmare for our people may finally be at an end.

---

[A long note is attached here. Words follow, reading 'When I was a little girl, about 7, I was spending time with my grandparents at their home in the old country of the Stonecutters Nation. Grandpa Jol and Grandma Birma. They were these really old, really scarred up Warrior and Tall Body-Type Oros respectively, but they were the gentlest, sweetest souls I'd ever met. They loved the heck out of me and my parents, they took me on all sorts of adventures and taught me all kinds of things about history and right and wrong and so much more. They were the best grandparents a girl could ask for, and they were the only ones I knew of since my mom's parents were long dead by the time I was born. It's actually kinda uncommon for Oros of my day and age to have met even one full set of grandparents. Most only knew one grandma or grandpa that was still alive, most didn't know any.

One night, when I was going to bed, I woke up at night because I'd gotten thirsty. So, I went downstairs all sleepy like because I wanted to get a glass of water, and since I was 7 I was a big enough girl to get it on my own.

The first thing I noticed that was wrong was that my grandparent's room had it's door open. Actually, that's not correct. It wasn't open, it was ripped off its hinges. The second thing I noticed was the blood on the floor that led down the stairs. I'd always been a heavy sleeper who slept through animal attacks before, but there was something different this time. I could smell it in the air: the blood was my grandparents', not some animals. I did the smart thing first and hit the silent alarm button just like my parents and grandparents and school-teachers always taught me to do in an emergency like this....then, I did the stupid thing they told me not to do; I didn't hide, I started to go down the stairs to look for my grandparents.

'Oma?' I called to granny. 'Opa?' I called to grampa. I didn't hear either of them say a word. I kept going down the stairs until I reached the bottom. When I was down there, my little ears finally heard it: Something moving in the kitchen. It took out my My First Survival Knife from my pajama's sheath and, shaking like a leaf and the little idiot that I was, went to investigate.

When I got in the kitchen, there was blood everywhere. The central cooking station had been torn out of the ground and tossed out to the side, embedded in a wall. Laying on the ground was my grandma and grandpa. They were both covered in their own blood and their throats had bites taken out of them. It stood there, shaking, when I realized that there was this big shadow. It wasn't a shadow. It was huge, bigger than grandpa, and it had to squat a bit in order to fit in the kitchen and keep its head from scraping against the ceiling. It was staring at me, these big, unblinking eyes that almost looked like they had these tiny, glowing embers of hate glowing deep within them staring right at me.

My grandparents were dead, and they'd been dead for a good while by this point.

This thing had been waiting down here for me to come after them.

Before I could try and turn and run, it grabbed me. I didn't see it move, one second it was there, the next it was holding me up in the air by my neck with one hand. I tried to scream, but all that came out was choking sobs. My training kicked in and I started trying to stab it in the arm with my knife. It was like trying to stab an Ironwood tree, my attacks did nothing.

The thing stared at me, it's big fangs showing. I think it was smiling, it found my struggle funny. Then, without any other noise and much slower than it needed to, it reached out with its free hand and scooped out my left eye, making sure to sever the nerve with its claws. It dropped me on the floor then as I was sobbing and screaming before it left. It heard gunshots outside, neighbors and the first responders having arrived far too late.

I was real quiet for the next year or so. My parents were heartbroken and angry and all sorts of things, and they never let me out of their sight when I wasn't in school. My eye regrew, but because of the thing's claws when it severed my optic nerve, it grew back mostly blind. I got a Seeing-Eyepatch after that.

I eventually went back to being me, silly, weird Hildra. But my grandparents were still dead and my eye was still janked up. I got Mr. Cool as a pet to help cope, but the nightmares never really stopped. They still haven't on some nights.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad these things are extinct in the wild. I'm glad and I hope they stay that way forever.

-Hildra Bergentruckung. You can quote me on that.']
 
Last edited:
Numbers of Null.
[The following is a reduced, publicly made available transcript from the Galactic Monitoring Index, written by the Institute of Aerospace Monitoring.]

Planet Name: Null.

Planetary Position: 3rd.

Moons: 2, Yarah Dam/Senora Sanguine (The Elder Blood Moon) and Yarah Mat/Senora Virdis (The Rotten/Green Moon.)// Yarah Mat Distance: 450,000 miles from Null. Yarah Dam Distance: 700,000 miles from Null.

Diameter: 9800 miles/15771.57 kilometers.

Surface Land to Water Ratio: 35 Percent Land, 65 Percent Water.

Atmosphere: 1.07 Galactic Habitable Standard* 02/N2. Level of contamination with foreign bodies bacterial and chemical in excess by several orders of magnitude. Contaminants inhospitable to foreign material.

Gravity: 1 Nullian Gravitic Standard. Exact measurements varies based on some locations, the standard gravity is typically 2.5 the Galactic Habitable Planetary Standard*.

Surface Temprature Range: -200 to 155C/ -392 to 311F. Average surface temperature in most livable regions are around -50 to 50C/ -58 to 122F.

Thaumaturgical Rating: 10 on the Nullian Magic Rating Scale. Comparison with other planetary bodies believed to hold life indicates this is almost thrice the galactic average.

Length of a Day: 30 Hours.

Days in a year: 292. Days in a standard 7 day week in order: Memsday, Thressday, Morchtday, Tulinday, Hamaday, Yulsday, and Faraday.

Civilized Sapient Population circa 3152 AA:

Median Population Estimated 7 billion individuals, 3.4 billion Oros across the various Nations of the Median, 2 billion Chimera and Cerberi, and 1.6 billion Mortalized Spirits, ~5 million Other.

Ogra Population Estimated 8 billion, 5 billion Ogra, 2 billion Mortalized Spirits, 1 billion Western Lasarna, 1 million Other.

Striga-Hyto Population: Estimated 1.8 billion, 1.3 billion Striga, 2 million Oros, 2 million Ogra, 1 million Other.

Lasarnan Republics Population Estimated 3 billion individuals, 2 billion Eastern Lasarna, 1 billion Mortalized Spirits, 1 million Other.

Notes: *Data collected after careful observation of known galactic bodies and comparing them to our own standards over the course of several hundred years.
 
Last edited:
Civilized Races Intro and Oros.
Civilized Races.

While many creatures on Null could classify as 'sentient', even sapient, few can be classified as 'civilized'. Of these species, all belong to the Median that controls the civilized world of Null. At the time of this writing, these races are the Oros, the Chimera, the Empusa, the Cerberi, the Ogra, the Lasarna, and the Mortalized Spirits.

Of these races, the Oros, Chimera, Empusa, and Cerberi are the four naturally occurring Mortal races of Null, with the Mortalized Spirits being either Spirit individuals stuck on Null rather than Lacuna or the descendant of one such individual stuck on Null. The Ogra and Lasarna are species brought to Null via the Uplifters, millions of years ago and 12 thousand years ago respectively. The Oros and those with Oros heritage are the only members of the Civilized Races to have unbreakable bones, though the durability of the skeletal structure of the other races cannot be dismissed.

All of the Civilized Races of Null are compatible with one another, and all have been living together in a unified society of some kind for thousands of years, the various races intermingling for almost as long. The Median itself formed in the year 1501, centuries ago as of the time of this current writing, with it bringing unification to the Civilized Races under the guidance of the Mediator, the eldest sister of the creator of our world, Lady Null, and the unifier of our Nations: Media.

Any member of the Civilized Races can breed with a member of the opposite sex, though the offspring is always of the mother's species. [A note is attached. It reads 'So many interspecies babies, so little time!']

The unifying biological trait among all of the native Mortal races if us sharing the exact same grade of Sentinel Bacteria, the highest grade out of all of Null in fact. This means that no other creature save a fellow Civilized Race can consume our flesh, for if they try, the Sentinel Bacteria react violently and often with deadly results. This grade of Sentinel Bacteria also effectively renders the Civilized Races immune to caustic based damage. The Ogra and Lasarna, meanwhile, are of the second heighest grade of Sentinal Bacteria, making them immune to being eaten by outside forces but not immune from being consumed by other animal life native to Null.

Another unifying quality is how our species' sexual determination works. Chimera, Empusa and Cerberi are always female, or hermaphroditic in the case of the Empusa, due to being mono-gendered races, but Oros and Mortalized Spirits share the same sex determination quality: Ovum within the mother come predetermined with a sex for the individual to be born if this particular egg is fertilized by a father's sperm, which delivers the genetic information from the father to complete the portions missing in the Ovum. As a result, males develop as males and females develop as females, resulting in no sex based chemical imbalances in their biology. As a result, males lack nipples due to lacking mammary glands entirely. It should be noted, however, that Spirits in their natural habitat of the Spirit Realm of Lacuna are able to change their biological sex at will due to being creatures of magic rather than matter and thus are not bound by the same rules as Mortals. Ogra and Lasarna, meanwhile, operate on a more common sex determination method, in which they begin development as females before a sex determinating chromosome determines if they remain as such or become the other relevant sex to their species.

To date, there has not been a single individual of the Civilized Races to have died of old age. Indeed, evidence indicates that we are all biologically immortal and will never truly die of age, but the dangers of our world means that living beyond a few centuries was uncommon for most people. Those that do live for extended periods of time weaken somewhat, but otherwise remain strong and dangerous individuals in their own right.

With all of that said, it is time we gave a look to the various species of the Civilized Races:

-

Oros.

[Sketches depict a species of bipedal, tail-less, short muzzled canines with humanoid proportions and features. They are shown to have a wide emotional range from expressions shown as well as a wide number of cultures based on clothing and armors. Armor seems to be the norm, as are masks, but there are many sketches showing them in daily attire without either such features. When fully nude, females have their sexual features on display, while males have their sexual organs hidden away by a genital slit like fold of skin keeping their genitalia hidden in a bulge like mass on their crotch. This is covered up by fur, giving them a 'featureless' appearance when fully nude and not aroused, with the testicles being internal entirely.]

[A note is attached. It depicts an eyepatch wearing stick-doodle with the words 'iz me' written next to it.]

Scientific Name Translation: Wise Wolf.

[A note is attached. It reads, 'Smart, hell yes. Wise? Depends on the person. Wolf? Eh, I think we're more like doggos myself. We domesticated ourselves!']

Average Size: 6'5-7'8 feet/1.98-2.78 meters tall, depending on Body Type.

Average Weight: 400-1190 pounds/ 181.44-539.78 kgs, depending on Body Type.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females are curvier than males, with features male lack like nipples and breasts, as well as longer and better defined hair most of the time.

Habitat Range: All biomes of the Arisa continent.

Summary:​

Of the various Mortal canid species of Null, only one has managed to achieve a full civilization. This species is me. It is likely also you. It is the Oros, the founding member race of the Nations of Null, and the most numerous native sapient species on the Mortal plane of our world. Our species has been through much over the millennia since our evolution into our modern state, but through unified endurance, cooperation, and a little help from more powerful beings, we stand united as the dominant life forms of this world alongside our fellow Civilized races.

The first modern day Oros is believed to have come to fruition some 200,000 years ago, here on our home continent of Arisa. Much of our prehistory is left unknown save for cave paintings and early artifacts, but what we do know is that life was always harsh on our fair planet. Our ancestors worked together using the three Body Types of the Oros people to hunt together and find success. Normal Body Types, though the smallest and physically weakest are naturally the best with ranged weaponry and thus were archers who fell grazing animals after exhausting them from a tireless hunt to tire them out. The physically powerful Warrior body types would then move in to finish off the prey before the Tall's would go on to use their deft hands to gather as much food as possible. [A note is attached. It reads 'The power of teamwork, my dudes!']

Eventually, the wheels of progress turned and the first civilizations came to existence. Farming communities began to sprang up as agriculture and animal taming became more widely known. They were then found and aided by the Great Spirits of Lacuna to develop into the first true great civilizations, though our success would see the wrath of our planet set upon us time and again. The first modern day Nation, the Royalbacks, came into existence some 9000 years ago and would be the parent Nation for a handful of others. The Windrunner Oros technically had a longer civilization before the Royalbacks, though they were different than the modern Nations as we understand them and would become the foundation for the modern day Skyrunner Nation. Sadly, during the rule of savage Bloodsuckers, an 8th proto-Nation known as the Ghost Dancers was rendered extinct. Their blood line persists to the modern day through descendants of those that had children with other Nationalities before their destruction, but as of the time of this writing, no pure blooded Ghost Dancers remain.

What followed were several thousand years of advancement, loss of knowledge, re-advancement, and dark age falls of institutional knowledge as the Nations almost literally warred against the planet itself, as well as internecine wars between each other. This culminated in arrival of the Prophet Am of the Bar in 0 WA (With Am), who hailed from a small group of Oros hidden away from the rest of the world. He would go on to become the founder of the Ambaric Church and, following his ascension into the heavens in 0 AA (After Am), the foundation for the Median would be laid, the 3rd Kingdom.

The 3rd Kingdom only lasted two centuries, but during this time many of the fundamental elements of the modern day Oros cultures were formed. It would not be another 1300 years before the Oros finally settled their differences and formed the unifying Median under the Aether Being Media, who acted as an unbiased intermediary between the various Nations and thus the only truly neutral party to be able to properly rule all of Null. [A note is attached. It reads 'So like, the 3rd Kingdom failed after two centuries because the various Nations of Oros hadn't yet gotten over each other being of different Nations, so it failed. Someone tried to make a 4rth Kingdom afterwords and unify everyone by conquering, but they got beaten by the Prophetess of War, Rosa. So cool.']

Oros have many interesting biological features. For instance, we lack tails despite starting life with them and our teeth are not individuals bones but a part of our skull. Our flesh is highly durable and capable of regeneration and we have a thin but highly dense layer of blubber beneath our skin. As a consequence, however, Oros are highly susceptible to fire as a consequence, though this is very much survivable if the only damage taken is from the flames and not other outside attacks as after a while of being exposed to fire, our musculature produces an oily slick that douses our the flames and prevents us from catch firing again. We also have a high stamina, allowing us to outlast most threats that try to fight us in the first place.

Our people is also subdivided into three main body types. Normal, Tall, and Warrior. Normal's are the most common at about 60 percent of the population and stand on average about 6'5 out of armor. They have excellent eyesight and a steady hand, allowing them to be better marksman than the other types. Tall's have a similar build to Normals, but on average stand around 7'2 out of armor. They have quick hands and fast reflexes, making them unparalleled duelists. Warriors are the biggest at 7'8 on average and well muscled and have the biggest amount of physical power, capable of lifting and hurling light tanks over a dozen meters away. The rough maximum tonnage each Body-Type can carry and throw is around 5-7, 14-17, and around 32.5 tons respectively, though this puts strain on the body to perform consistently without the aid of Power Armor.

There also exists the 'Short' Body Type, but this is a polite nomenclature for members of the respective body-types suffering from dwarfism. They are typically a foot or so smaller than the average height of their Body Type and are more compact as a result. The Yayai fox spirits like to call these individuals 'chibi'. [A note is attached. It reads 'I call them what they are: Shortstacks. What? They're short, and their women are stacked. It fits. XD']

Oros, like most other life, are omnivorous and can sustain ourselves on both plant and animal tissues. However, we are true omnivores and thus require both kinds of tissue in order to remain healthy, as we weaken when exclusively fed one over the other. We also lack Mana Converters, instead having a Second Stomach which holds the food we have converted into a nutrient rich soup and feeds it into our blood stream like fuel in a fuel tank. Anything eaten into the first stomach is rapidly reduced by acid into this 'nutrient soup' for this purpose as 'fuel'.

Our biggest and most important biological features however are our bones. The bones of an Oros were blessed by our creator, Null, to be truly unbreakable. Indeed, nothing save the reality eroding power of the Aether itself can harm these bones we've been given, be it the direct flames of a star or the blade of Great Spirit. They are, furthermore, interconnected by a sort of 'soft-bone' that prevents our skeletons from being pulled apart. These bones are not without their drawbacks, however. They are heavy and dense, making swimming impossible without the use of an old swim bladder organ that barely affords us an hour of swim time, though the Wavechasers have swim bladders that are able to allow them 10 hours of swim time, as we otherwise sink directly to the bottom of the water. [A note is attached. It reads 'I wish I could swim normally. Having bones that can't be broken forged by eldritch beings is nice and all, but just once I'd like to swim in the pool for longer than an hour before I sink like a rock.']
Furthermore, these bones make it difficult to perform surgery in areas protected by them, such as the ribcage, and for the longest time made physical brain ailments impossible to treat, something only possible today with modern technology involving intrusive fiber tendrils through the eye socket. This unbreaking skeletal structure are made unbreakable by unknown Aetheric means, but because of them an Oros requires 11 months to gestate in the womb. This skeleton was a major factor of the UrOros created by Eunoe uncountable universes before our own to do battle with the god-like Sleepers, meaning they were a part of our 'blueprint' when Null herself chose to revive our species.

Our skeletons do not make us indestructible, however. Suffocation or enough damage to our bodies to bleed us out will all result in our kind's end in short order. Indeed, many a young Oros foolishly met their death thinking that their unbreaking bones meant they could not die. If only this was true. Other aspects of our biology include having the highest grade of Sentinel Bacteria alongside our fellow Civilized Races, preventing us from being eaten by all but each other and the now extinct Bloodsucker, redundant organs the same as all Nullians, and biological quirks each Nation has developed over time. [A note is attached. it reads, 'I wish we were indestructible. I miss you so much, gram and gramps....']

Oros have no set biological breeding season, as we are able to produce young the year round. A quirk of our biology, however, means that we don't really have a sex drive until the first time we have sex, after which a mated pair will produce many offspring as long as they are alive. The specifics of the union vary from time period and culture, but typically in ancient times the couple will mate in a secure location while the rest of their people guarded the location from outside.

After 11 months of gestation, an Oros child is born. They are fully functional individuals capable of surviving on their own, and resemble our animalistic canine ancestors more than the people we are as adults. By the time the young have reached their first year, they have begun to stand upright and understand spoken language, though they are clumsy on their two feet for a while. Their tails once they become fully bipedal and plantigrade is reabsorbed into the body and their slightly longer snouts develop into their adult shape as they grow up. Puberty begins at around 13 years of age and is marked by an increased in aggression and destructive desires and is completed at around 18 years of age when they are officially recognized as full adults. Those Oros that do not lose their family's during or before this point typically remain close with their families for years afterward until they finally find a mate of their own. There is no real taboo against interracial couples or marrying any of the other Civilized Races of Null. [A note is attached. It depicts an eyepatch wearing female hugging an Oros puppy. The puppy is blepping. Words follow, reading 'My people's babies are sooooo cute! It's like having a puppy that came out of you! I can't wait to find the right guy to settle down with and have a family of my own. Puppers, puppy, pupperinos. Actually, wait, scratch that, I don't know if I can handle to pressure of being a mom! Oh man, would I mess it up!?']

There are 7 Great Nations of Oros, each comprised of a few smaller but interconnected Nations. These Great Nations each have their own coloration's and biological quirks as part of their heritage.

-The Royalbacks have black fur and a diamond shaped patch of fur on their back with a 'royal' color, from jade to purple and more. Royalbacks are noted for their resilience to disease. They are the first modern Great Nation and are ruled by a dynastic Great Queen.

-The Bughunters are known for their green tinged fur and a 'mask' pattern of fur over their eyes. They are known for their resilience against toxins, and intentionally kept themselves technologically primitive compared to modern day standards in order to avoid the 'notice' of the planet. This worked and thus for the longest time they were the Nation with the highest population of Oros, though the Great Walled Cities are starting to close the numbers gap.

-The Firebrands have red and rust tinted fur and are known for their higher tolerance for flames for a limited time. They live in the volcanic Southern Heat Plains and are famous for their unusually loud and boisterous attitudes compared to the more reserved traditional attitudes of other Oros, as well as a fondness for drinking, though the love of drink is a cultural aspect rather than a biological one.

-The Icebreakers are snow white and have an inherit resistance to the cold. Residing in the frozen north, They are a people known for their stoic attitudes and frown upon open displays of emotion towards non-Icebreakers, though this attitude is slowly melting as time goes on. They are well known for their technological advances and are the premier tech development Nation in the Median.

-The Stonecutters are a brown furred people who live in the stormy mountains and have a resistance to electricity. They are famous for their mining and their peoples closeness with Aetherworks, with much of their more advanced technology involving Aether-Tech embedded in stone. They're most well known for their Nation starting off as a colony for the Royalbacks before breaking off and successfully ceding millennia ago, developing a culture and personality all their own.

-The Wavechasers are a blue tinged people with many tattoo like fur markings. They take to the seas in the eastern shores and are known for their dynastic empire ruled by an emperor. Their bright red colored Raiders were an infamous military unit in their early years fighting wars between the various Nations, though in the modern day they primarily make up the Media's wet navy and fishing industries.

-The Skyrunners with tan and sandy colored fur an interesting tattoo like facial markings in their fur patterns. They hold the record for the oldest continuing civilization of the Oros peoples, hailing from the interior North Eastern Dune Sea, and were the second modern Nation formed after the Royalbacks. They are a people with a love for the air and thus are responsible for the development of the modern day Aerial Fleet that protects the Great Walled Cities. A spiritual and friendly people.

Together, these 7 Great Nations form the Nullian Union, also known as the Median. For over a 1500 years, we've stood tall together and have begun to enter our space age, with our first space elevators soon to come online and the first of our airships to be converted into space capable vessels. The exact culture of each Nation varies, further varying based on subcultures wtihin and the individual practices among clans and families. No matter the differences, however, all Oros are tightly nit between each other and the other Civilized Races to live alongside us. It isn't perfect, but we all stand together on this hellhole we call a homeworld and for that, we're all one people. It just took us a while to realize that and stop the squabbling between Nations.

Our past may be shrouded in misery and woe, but our future among the stars is looking bright. Shine on, you blazing star. [A note is attached. It reads 'Ha, that's a reference to Starshine! Don't think we didn't notice!']

-

[A note is attached. It reads, 'So, I've been doing doodles and drawings and sketches for a long time now. I've decided to go ahead and do some sketches of my fellow Oros from around the city I live in in this new artstyle I've been developing. All of these guys are my friends I got to know from work. Who knew being a military engineer would see you meeting so many different people? Oh wait, that's just how that works. XD

Uploading these now.'

What follows are sketches drawn by the note maker:

Oros 1.jpg

Oros 2.jpg

Oros 3.jpg
image0.jpg
image0.jpg
image0.jpg


'I also did one on Media herself from this one conference she did.'

Oros Media.jpg

image0.jpg
]

(Special thanks to @Jen for this wonderful commissioned art!)
 
Last edited:
Oros, Addendum.
Oros, Addendum.

-

While the Oros page has been a part of my Encylopedia since the beginning, minus the updates done due to changing dates, some information had been intentionally left out of older editions due to being requested by other parties, which I honored. However, recent developments in recent years have opened up the possibility that I can include knowledge of these elements into my Encylopedia. As the Oros page is long enough as it is, I have decided to add this additional page to include the additional information not included in the main page. Here we go. [A note is attached. It reads 'I'm really happy this page was added in 7th edition. It helped me explain things to those new people that wound up on Null a few years back. It's gotta suck to be the Displaced like that, but I'm sure they'll get used to living here eventually! I've got a friend among them, a dog-girl named Gloria who found all of this really helpful!']

Oros Conditions.

The Oros as a people have some conditions, ailments, and even blessings that can be passed down our lines. These conditions range from severe and life altering to minor and almost unnoticeable. Some of the biggest and most well known of these conditions are as followed.

-KillJoy. KillJoys are Oros who have a defect in part of their nervous system responsible for giving feedback when an Oros kills a hostile target. In a regular Oros, a sense of relief is given when we slay an enemy trying to kill us, with perhaps a sense of satisfaction depending on the individual and if they were performing a task such as hunting. KillJoys, however, have a defect in this portion of the nervous system that, rather than feeling relief at surviving an enemy and killing them in turn, the KillJoy, as their name implies, feels a sense of elation, euphoria, and happiness upon killing something. Furthermore, the target does not have to be hostile for a KillJoy to feel this happiness. KillJoys who discover this about themselves have been known to develop an almost psychotic need to kill, becoming addicted to the sense of happiness that killing brings for them. All KillJoys, however, instinctively cannot bring themselves to imagine, much less actually harm, someone they consider family to themselves. It is literally unthinkable for them despite their condition.

If found early on and given proper treatment, KillJoys can be socialized into relatively normal, functional members of society, no more a threat to their neighbors than they are to their own family. If not treated, however, most KillJoys are unable to stop themselves from getting addicted to the happiness they receive from killing, and thus easily jump the slippery slope into becoming dangers to themselves and those around them. In ancient times, KillJoys were banished to the wild to find find their deaths doing what they love, slaying creatures in the wild. In the modern day, KillJoys are rounded up for treatment in psychological facilities dedicated to defusing their addiction. Results are mixed, however. [A note is attached. It reads 'I have a cousin who is a Killjoy. She is pretty normal, but she gets really happy when she starts stomping on a bunch of ants and kinda loses track of time when she does it. Always creeped me out.']

Interestingly, KillJoys regardless of their state of mind are not sadistic where they can help it. They do not take pleasure in the act of torture or inflicting pain: Their condition only rewards them with happiness upon confirmed killing of a target. As a result, KillJoys make for poor torturers as they fail to see the point in infliting unneeded pain when their goal is to kill a target as quickly and efficiently as possible.

KillJoys are fairly rare, as only a few hundred thousand Oros and individuals of Oros bloodline possess this condition.

-Bloody One. Probably the most well known and famous condition, Bloody Ones are Oros with longer canine teeth and a drive for drinking blood. These individuals and their condition were the basis from which the Forgotten Uplifter created the Bloodsuckers. Indeed, historically, the advent of the Bloodsuckers saw a mass exodus of Bloody Ones into the wilds of Null to escape destruction at their twisted parody's claws. Most of these Bloody Ones would be united and form what would become known as the Crimson City in the depths of the Sanguine Rainforest in central Arisa, where they banded together for survival and where they developed and unleashed their plan to develop and send out masks to the rest of Oros kind to begin the rebellion that ended the reign of the Bloodsuckers.

An average Bloody One is a fairly normal individual, though they are more outgoing on average and with a zest for life. Their condition means they require a semi regular intake of fresh blood, however it does not discriminate. The blood of people or animal does not matter: as long as it is relatively fresh, even a blood pack of animal blood will suffice to tide them over for a while. If they are denied their semi regular blood drinking, however, Bloody Ones become increasingly unwell until they finally snap in a blind rage that sends them into a feeding frenzy. For this reason, they are often untrusted despite the unlikeliness of them not receiving their blood intake in the modern age.

Bloody Ones are passionate and hot blooded on average, though cooler headed and reserved ones have been known to occur. They are also unique in that they are driven by desire to find a mate to procreate with to continue their blood line, an unusual difference from the usual Nullian sex drive. Between their longer canines and their outgoing personalities, most Bloody Ones can be spotted at a glance by those who know what to look for. [A note is attached. It depicts a fairly good drawing of a smiling Oros, who has longer canine teeth than the norm.]

As a matter of safety, Bloody Ones are all registered with the government and tabs are kept on their government provided bloodpack donations. Bloody Ones make up approximately 5% of the Oros population, meaning that 1 out of every 20 Oros is one. [A note is attached. It reads 'Is it weird that I don't have any family I know of who is a Bloody One? They're relatively common, but nope. Nobody in my family is one.']

-Throwbacks. A term used to describe about 1% of the Oros population that, due to a quirk of genetics, never actually lose their tail upon developing into their bipedal forms. Historically looked at as oddities in their community, Throwbacks in the modern day are seen as the least intrusive or important condition as its consequences are both benign and easily able to be worked around.

-'Tweaked'. Oros with neurological differences that make them stand out compared to the average are said to be 'tweaked' in the head. This is a general term for any neurological difference that falls outside of the norm. For example, KillJoys are considered a type of 'Tweaked'. A more common type are 'Happy's', which are Oros who defy the characteristically softspoken and stoic nature of most Oros who have lived past their first century. Happys are outspoken and joyful despite all the troubles around them. This isn't to say they cannot be sad or not feel other emotions, but rather they look on the positive side of things rather than expecting the worst that most older Oros come to think. With the creation of the Great Walled Cities, more and more youth's who develop in relative safety are beginning to show signs of developing into 'happys', indicating that this neurological condition might be more common than expected, it is simply not as potent in some individuals as in others, thus allowing them to have their hopes and dreams crushed by the harsh life outside of the walls. [A note is attached. It reads 'Yup, that's me! Weird, tweaked Hildra! Mom and dad were always concerned that something was wrong with me given how happy I was as a kid, but my grandparents when they were still around told them they were worrying about nothing. I know it's weird to be so happy all the time, but in a world as sad as ours, someone needs to be happy, right?']

Other forms of Tweaked exist, though their commonality drops sharply beyond the 'Happy's most think of when they think of a 'tweaked' individual.

-Am's Blessed. It is no secret that the Prophet of Peace was a blessed individual, capable of bringing peace to all life wherever he went. After his ascension into the heavens, many individuals began to be born with what is described as 'Am's Blessing'. These individuals are have an instinctive and supernatural ability to peacefully calm down all but the most belligerent of wild life around them. As a result, many of them go on to become famously important vets and other wildlife experts in the field. Their rarity, however, means that only a few tens of thousands of them exist in the world.

-Wildchildren. Oros have an interesting developmental factor. Children are born with a mental connection with their parents. For complete, healthy mental development, both parents need to be alive for an Oros to develop properly, though if at least one parent remains alive, a child can develop into a fairly normal individual in due time. If an Oros child loses both parents before a certain age, however, then they become dispondant and lost, aggressive to non-family members and acting very strangely around non-parental family members. The specifics vary immeasurably based on the individual child in question, but the one thing that is for sure is that these children develop differently into different people than if they had at least one parent alive to aid their development along. [A note is attached. It reads 'My Mom was a Wildchild that had to be raised by her aunt and uncle. Apparently, she had a taste for rats. Even when there was actual people food, she would ignore it and go hunt rats. She says she still has a taste for rat to this day.']
 
Last edited:
Author's Request.
(Hey everyone, it's me, the author.

I apologize for the long absence, a mixture of RL and other Quests has caused me to lose track of time and thus I had to put this story to the wayside.

Now, I should set something straight, I greatly enjoy writing this story. I find it fun to write, fun creating these creatures and setting up this whole world chock full of lore and the like. However, while I can clearly see from the vote up above that there is a clear and present audience for this story, I'm left unable to bring myself to keep writing due to an uncertainty as to what, exactly, it is that brings my readers here to enjoy my stuff.

So I ask you guys, what is it about this story that you like? The creatures? The glimpses of the world, the owner's notes, the lore, what?

If I can find out what it is you guys enjoy so much in clearer words, I can feel more confident in my writing and find out what you'd like more of. Now, obviously, we've still got a LOT of creatures to go through, but what else would you guys to see more of? Do you like the side-story stuff, would you like to see more 'Goods of the World of Null' posts, more Power Armor stuff, other kinds of bonus lore entries?

My RL is still busy and my schedule isn't as flawless as it used to be, but I intend to try and get a new update this month, with new side-story content based on what you guys ask for, stuff like that.

I again apologize for the long absence, and cannot promise you that another haitus like this won't occur eventually in the future, but until that happens, I'm hoping to post more often than I don't. Current goal: At least one update a week at max, at least one a month. Bare with me guys, and we'll see this story reach it's end and the Encylopedia completed sooner rather than later.

So yeah, what is it you guys enjoy the most about this story and what would you like to see more of? I'll be crossposting this with all the forums this is on, so I'll be taking all of the feedback into consideration!)
 
Sports News Weekly and Musician's Digest Monthly.
[The following is an exerpt from a weekly article providing news on the world of Sports on Null, imaginatively titled 'Sports News Weekly', this one dated years prior to the current date.]

It's another good week to be a sports fan as we have several up-coming matches across numerous competitive games this sports season.

In the world of Boom-Ball, the finalist teams for this years championship finales are down to up and coming underdogs Steelwater's District 3 Saints and the current three-time champions, the Hamsaya City Royals. Last week's explosive game saw the Saints win their way to the championship finales against their long time rivals, the Traummond Shinooks, with the Saint's star player Nass Mondzahn performing a Flourish to take the Shinook's lead player Ash Tasoth out of the game before moving in for the goal, planting the Boom Ball and ending the game with an explosive detonation that sent the entirity of the enemy team flying!

Richochet fans meanwhile are gearing up for the mid-season play-offs, with the first game featuring Hama's Panzers against Rahls Ravagers. Hama's stunning victory at the end of the first half of the season against Coilland's Plenty saw rookie player Cass O'caya pulling Hama's team out of the jaws of defeat by managing to go two to one against Coilland's remaining players and taking out both with a calculated throw that saw her bounce-ball hit one then the other in a two-for one 'Double-Trouble' throw. Many veteran players are impressed by to see such an expert move of calculating prowess come from such a new and unseasoned player. Many say this speaks of a long and excellent career awaiting young Cass, though we will see if she can maintain such expert level richochets going forward or if this was a lucky one time trick for the newcomer.

Memsday Night Combat continues it's ongoing competition for newblood teams of rookies to try and defeat current reigning team 'The Enemy Doesn't Care What We Call Ourselves Do They' in their challenge for such newbie groups to try and defeat them in at least 1 round of a 5 round match for the grand prize of a 1 Million Dollup per player payout and a sponsorship deal by TEDCWWCODT for the rookie team that manages to accomplish the challenge. So far, none of the 25 teams that have participated have managed to beat TEDC's challenge of winning at least one round, though the most recent team called 'Fireteam Sanguine' has managed to earn a second try after managing to, against all odds, have at least one team member survive one round and even tie with TEDC's score not once, but twice.

On the topic of Ties, Heavy Weight Combat Boxing continues to see up-and-coming Spirit League Champ Mae Lee once again tie with 7 time world Oros Champion Hoxton Tanner. Mae Lee, a Mortalized Erui tiger Spirit, has had her 4th tie-breaking match against Firebrand champ Hoxton which once more has ended in a tie for both champions. Some experts believe that these two titans of heavy weight combat may indeed be each other's truest match, with few if any having any concrete belief on who, if either, will ever be able to truly win against the other.

In the world of Duelist Competitive Championships, the ongoing Tournament has seen an unexpected victory when Loray Meetra managed to break her opponent, one Kayla Torres's, blade with a mighty swing of her Axe-Scythe, only for Kayla, undeterred by her weapon's broken state, to slip past her opponent's guard and jam both the tip of the blade and the broken handle in between sections of Loray's plate armor. While overall points were deducted for bloodshed, Kayla ultimately was given the win for the duel by the judges and even recieved high praise from her opponent. "It takes a special kind of duelist to not give a damn of having a broken weapon and still find a way to achieve victory." Loray has gone on record saying after recieving modest medical aid for her injuries before her regen kicked in.

In non-competitive news, the world of Sports Shooting, a staple of Normal Oros sports events, is still out of season until the end of the year, but it has seen a notable upswing in new participants in out-of-season play and training. The Displaced, as those brought to our homeworld have been known to be called, have seen a large number of athletes begin to get into the native sports scene in the five years since their initial arrival. While bringing their own sports from their original home, many Displaced have a noted insterest in trying to participate in Nullian classics.

'I've always liked guns, kinda had to on the mean streets back home, but being able to shoot guns at targets like it's freaking golf? Count me in!' Says one Raptor based Displaced by the name of George Smith.

'Golf', for those unaware, is a sport native to the Displaced's original home culture, which involves hitting a small white ball with a specialized club to send it flying towards a small hole dozens or even hundreds of meters away. This sport, practiced in a manner akin to Sports Shooting, has taken the interest of numerous Nullians who have flocked to observe the Displaced game being played on makeshift golf courses.

For racing fans out there, the Median Knight's Great Walled City Hover-Bike Racing Circuit continues to be closed due to the on-going conflicts across numerous fronts including against Spider-Ants, Mother Roots, and the remnants of the Dark Spirit Crisis requiring the attention of the Median's armed forces. No official comment has been given when, exactly, there will be a return to the racing circuits. Many fans, while disapointed, are understanding, with those at the Great Walled City that birthed the GWC Racing Circuit, Dreamhold City, to eagerly await their beloved home-town sport's renewal.

To end off this week's sports news, another Season of Champions in Arara's Golden Arena has begun, with the Great Spirit of Loot herself presiding in an opening ceremony that saw this season's competitors starting strong across various combat, platforming, and problem solving trials. Competitors both returning and new are particularly excited over this Season's loot rewards, ranging from gilded melee weapons to a set of custom made Aurum Champion armors and weapons as the current Seasonal rewards for all competitors who succeed in winning all of the Season's challenges.

That's it for for this week's news, sports fans, but we'll see you again next week at the same usual time for new updates and new stories to tell!

-

[What follows is an excerpt from 'Musicians Digest Monthly' on new released by various musical artists.]

The music scene has been witness to several new releases this month, from old favorites to newer artists breaking ground to make themselves a place all their own.

Taking the world by storm with their new 'pop' stylings, the Displaced have seen several musical stars find an audience both among their own people as well as Nullian kind. Among these stars, canine pop idol Eileen Ferris has released two new singles, 'High Rise' and 'Trouble Boy', while fellow primate pop star Kenzie Thomas is currently working on her as of yet untitled new album, set to release later this year. Kenzie is famous for her debut new album with heavy tones and themes criticisng the old world the Displaced come from, titled 'Shattered Faith', something welcomed by both the Displaced for its unapologetic and critical look at the government and corporate systems of the old world among other things, while Nullians find it a fascinating and unadulterated look into life in the old world from which the Displace hail from. Rumors exist of a possible collaboration between the two pop stars, though there has yet to be any sort of official announcement or confirmation.

Coming straight from Hurkora's Recording Hall, Oros opera singer Jassete ChuGora's latest piece continues to bring recognition to the Mortal from the Hurko Spirit race, who find her melodies and tunes 'familiar yet distinct'. The Great Spirit of music herself, Hurkora, has gone on to say that her biggest regret was not signining Jassete on to be her own personal Mortal musician, a fact that Jassete is quick to say some words about. "She's just being humble, I can't dare to come close to matching her musical talents or ear. Still, if she likes me, I must be doing something right, no?" Jassete is currently set to have a live concert tour across several of the Great Walled Cities, including Steelwater, Traummond, New Cambaria, Tenebraum, and Dreamhold City.

On the terms of more classical stylings, old school big band group 'The Clovers' have confirmed their latest album has been delayed indefinitly due to the destruction of their recording studio and equipment in the latest beast raid to assail their home town of Juniper Hall. The Clovers had for the longest time refused to move to a Great Walled City for a multitude of reasons ranging from solidarity with their fellow Juniper Hall townsfolk as well as the belief that the move to a new and unfamiliar location might have an affect on their musical stylings, which focus on a somber tone for the genre. With this latest disaster, which has seen much of Juniper Hall destroyed in an unusually powerful and dangerous animal raid coordinated by Spider-Ants, many of the remaining inhabitents are without homes and have lost their faith in the 'old way' of living in 'old fashioned' towns such as their home. The Clovers have confirmed that, after some debate, they will be moving alongside their fellow Juniper Hall towns people to the nearest GWC of Juniper Hill.

Coming out more recently, the electro-swing collaboration between DJ Skully and DJ Scarface has seen a mostly positive reception from their fans, both Nullian and Displaced alike. when asked seperately for comment about their collaboration partner, both DJ's had only one thing to say about the other: 'I like his style.'

On more tragic news, the current band for the world famous Berserker Paladin Theater Troupe has suffered a great loss as two of their current band-mates have fallen on the line of duty. As always, the exact identities of the current Theater Troupe composition remains a closely guarded secret, but it has been confirmed that a private service will be held within the Paladin Order's headquarters. Their last album, Rain of a Thousand Iron Fists, will be the last album to contain the latest iteration of the Troupe's musical band. Reports confirm that the surviving members of the current Troupe, in honor of their fallen pack-mates, will disband and open the way for the next iteration of the band to replace them.

(Eileen Ferris and Kenzie Thomas belong to some pleasant fellows I've met on Discord called Shocken and Iselwyr respectively. Their characters appear as cameos among the Displaced populace in this setting.)
 
Last edited:
Maddock Hammer-line of weapons, commissioned!
(Howdy Guys, I had the Hammer line of weapons from here commissioned into some art pieces showing what they look like!

Pinhammer:
maddock_industries__pinhammer_v10__pistol_by_fluffywolf36_dehyjmd-fullview.jpg


Jackhammer:
dehyob6-f1712cfa-a91c-4252-a44a-29b69a04daec.jpg


Sledgehammer:
maddock_arms__sledgehammer_v10__dmr_by_fluffywolf36_dehyqoj-fullview.jpg


Feel free to head on over to the artist's relevant Deviantart pages and be sure to give him plenty of support!




Each page has more lore and info on the respective weapons and other lore goodies, for those of you who enjoy such things! For those of you who can't access DA for whatever reason, however, here's the relevant lore in their respective pages.

This massive pistol (or depending on who you ask, small rifle) was created by Maddock Industires as a companion side-arm for their Jackhammer and Sledgehammer line of rifles. tTe Pinhammer is widely well regarded by users of its previous incarnations for its sturdy construction that makes it an excellent bludgeon in a pinch, while being an excellent side-arm to be paired with a melee weapon in the user's main hand. The current V-10 model, the latest of its kind, was planned to have an automated paint reconstruction capability alongside with its self-maintenence subroutines, though this was scrapped for the final production models due to bizzare inconsistencies and glitches in the paint-reconstitution efforts.

The Pinhammer comes with a wide variety of customization options, such as longer barrels, sights, flashlights, extended mags, foregrips, stocks, and even fire selectors for burstfire or even full-auto. For those who see it as a little too much for a pistol or need something lighter, it's very easy to modify it into a carbine.

In carbine mode, it can be equipped with Grenade launchers, flamethrowers, rail shotguns, electroshock zappers, and bayonets. You could attach these while just using it as a pistol - you could - but it would be extremely front-heavy and we do not recommend.

Displaced Customer note*
"Created for use against the flora and fauna of Null, which ranges from lethal, to outrageously lethal, to 'warrants the use of antiarmor weaponry.' It holds 18 rounds of .50 caliber 'slugger' microrockets, and it's built expressly for people that don't have a concept of overkill, just 'dead' and 'reload'." If you see yourself being caught with your pants down in the face of some kind of beast made of murder and knives, all out of ammo for your longarm, you can't go wrong with this one.

It also comes with a free bayonet!


*Displaced are new-comers to Null, individuals brought to the Deathworld against their own will by this world's magical monstrosities and with little choice other than to live alongside the Nullians due to lacking any ways of getting back home.

"You can always tell when it's a Displaced picking up a Jackhammer for the first time. Maybe they've seen how many bullets the animals can take, or maybe they've just never seen a rifle so meaty.



"...meaty?"



"Yeah, you know. Meaty. Makes a big boom, sounds and feels satisfying, turns targets into raw meat."

Conversation between an Oros Knight and a Displaced weapon enthusiast.




A steady and stand-by classic of Maddock Industries, the Jackhammer remains a popular weapon for both rookies and experts in the field due to it's extremly solid construction allowing it to be used as a blunt-force melee weapon while reliably capable of being used even with extensive damage to its structure, allowing it to double as an excellent make-shift shield. The Jackhammer's V-10 model, the most current version out on the market, had been delayed from final release due to the discovery of a previously unseen defect in the factory standard holo-sights baked into the weapons as standard. Unwilling to go through another V-3 Defect Incident and recall, it was wisely decided to move the final release back several months in order to avoid a repeat of that ancient drama.

The Jackhammer comes with a wide variety of customization options, such as longer barrels, sights, flashlights, extended mags, foregrips, stocks, and even fire selectors for burstfire or even full-auto. It can also be equipped with Grenade launchers, flamethrowers, rail shotguns, electroshock zappers, and bayonets.

Displaced Customer note*

I got a chance to try this thing out on the range and it's weight actually works to its advantage: All that stuff up the front means as long as you hold the trigger down and have steady hands, you'll stay on target for pretty much the entire mag. Not sure if you'll be bothered by the weight even if you'll feel it, due to that whatever the hell those squid things did to us to allow us to keep up with the locals. Just don't question it enough that you slow down in a heavy situation and get eaten or deboned or something."


*Displaced are new-comers to Null, individuals brought to the Deathworld against their own will by this world's magical monstrosities and with little choice other than to live alongside the Nullians due to lacking any ways of getting back home.

"So it doesn't have the range of a railgun or gauss gun, the round is slower... what the hell does this thing have that a railgun doesn't?"



"It hits like a truck."



"Yeah. I've got the bruises on my shoulder to prove it."



"That all? You ever seen what this will do to the other guy?"


As the latest iteration of the Sledgehammer line of DMRs, the V-10 continues to use the heavy .65 caliber 'Long' sniper Slugger rounds ranged weapon enthusiests have come to know and love. When accompanied with the proper scope, the Sledgehammer has an effective range of nearly 7 miles, paltry compared to the rail sniper rifles beloved by Rangers, Hunters, and Trackers, but more than enough to provide fire support from anywhere in direct line of sight to a battlefield. Experienced Normal Body-Type Oros in particular have been known to make the best use of this due to their instinctive capabilities with ranged combat, managing to consistently hit targets from miles off even in the chaos of the modern battlefield. Despite this ranged capability, the power of the V-10 means that it's more than excellent in close range and medium support roles as well, allowing Hunters, Knights, and Guardians alike to have some accurate heavy firepower during hunts and Spider-Ant hive raids alike.

Displaced Customer note*
'Now, I tried the Sledgehammer and heard all the hype about it. I don't think any of us who've fallen in love with the local guns haven't. So I was pretty surprised and unimpressed with how it took a couple of rounds to reliably kill any of the small fry stuff like those Wolf-Hound things, nevermind the number of mags you go through to fight against stuff like the Slinkers or Wolf-Tigers. Hell, I saw a buddy of mine accidentally eat a round from one of these on the range because he was an idiot, and all he got was this relatively small hole that his new regen fixed up in a couple of seconds flat. I started to complain about it being a rip off, and immediatly shut up when I saw some weapon tests on dummies specially designed to mimic our durability back before we came here and got changed to match the locals. I just.....That can't be right, right? People back home don't just.....turn into mist when shot by a [expletive]ing DMR round from around here, right? Right?

I'm not sure if I'm intrigued or unsettled about the heavier things we can get our hands on..."

*Displaced are new-comers to Null, individuals brought to the Deathworld against their own will by this world's magical monstrosities and with little choice other than to live alongside the Nullians due to lacking any ways of getting back home.

The artist of these lovely pieces is one @Fluffy, so be sure to give him all your love and support!)
 
Chimera.
Chimera.

[Sketches depict a bipedal, distinctly feminine race of tall serpentine beings. Their feet are digitigrade, with three large, flexible clawed toes providing the base for them to walk along with, with an additional pair of smaller but flexible 'thumb' toes higher up on the foot, one on each side. Sketches show these five toes can work together to grasp and grab items or to take hold of objects or creatures both for practical and pragmatc reasons, such as in combat. Their bodies lack immediatly visible sexual characteristics other than their curves and seemingly featureless breasts, though close analysis shows their intimates and nipples are hidden behind sections of scaled slits that cover and protect these sections when not in use. The necks are relatively long, flanked by cobra like hoods and ending in snouted serpentine faces, their mouths lined with sharp teeth indicating an omniverous nature, their fangs being large and fixed to the skull, not hinged. Their tails are long and large, ending in a broad section that opens up in a large mouth like section. A two pairs of massive fangs, two on each jaw of the 'tail mouth' exist, and cut aways indicate that the 'thoat' leads to some form of array of glands.

Interestingly, there is a wide variety of differences between each Chimera: While their base form does not change, each one has a different set of features such as armor types, placements, and more, as well as what look like subspecies variations.]

[A note is attached. It reads, 'I sometimes wish I was born as a Chimera. Having a tail-mouth that acts as a chemical cannon sounds freaking awesome!']

Scientific Name Translation: Blood Mother.

Average Size: 8'6/2.591 meters tall.

Average Weight: 1440 pounds/653.173 kgs.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A, mono-gendered species.

Habitat Range: All Biomes in the Arisa Continent.

Summary:​

There is no denying that our world is one of many oddities. Some are caused by freak mystical fusion accidents, or unexpected mutations, or evolution going in unexpected places. The Chimera of our world, one of the 4 native Mortal Races, is among these oddities alongside their sister races. The Chimera in particular are a large, powerfully built race of bipedal, serpentine esq mono-gendered beings who are exclusively female, with no known naturally occuring male Chimera having ever been recorded. Despite their scaley, reptilian appearences, the Chimera are in fact placental mammals, including having fully functioning breasts whose teets are hidden away by a layer of folding scales. These same scales also exist at their groins, folding over their nether regions and providing an armored protection for them. [A note is attached. It reads, 'Guys have their junk stored up by folding layers of reinforced skin. Chimera and Empusa have their junk and nips covered up by armored scales. Why is it the rest of us have to go around without any extra protection for?! That's so unfair! >:V']

The Chimera are one of the three 'Chimeric' Mortal Races of Civilized beings, being the Chimera themselves as well as their offshoot the Empusa and the Orosoid hybrids known as Cerberi. All three races share certain attributes, such as the ability to breath out fire or a mawed tail, as well as all three being mono-gendered, all members of their various races being female. What is interesting is that, despite their numerous differences compared to us, the Chimera and their sister races are, in fact, related to us.

Millions of years ago, a progenitor species of what would become the Oros and Chimera split into two distinct species of primitive seal like creatures. While the Orosoid line would go on to give rise to many modern day mammalian species like canines, felines, and ursines, the Chimeric subspecies split off into a less successful, but remarkably resiliant subspecies. It is difficult to say precisely when and how the exact characteristics that make Nullian Chimera the recognizable race they are today came in, but it is generally agreed upon that all the linked attributes, from their mawed tail to their armored scales to their mono-gendered status, all hail from the same event, presumbed mutagenic in nature. Regardless of the exact causes, the Chimeric line would reach the land alongside their Orosoid kin and would share the Arisa continent with them for the ensuing 15-12 million years it would take for the first modern Oros and Chimera to arise.

It was around during this time where members of the two species encountered one another and males of the Oros' distant direct ancestors would interbreed with the Chimera's own direct ancestors. While some biologists are unsure of how such two differently diverged specimens could produce viable hybrids, what can be said with certainty is that these crossbreedings between the two distinct family lines are what gave rise to the direct ancestors of what would become the Cerberi. [A note is attached. It features a drawing depicting a cartoon snake with stick figure arms followed by a plus sign followed by a cartoon dog, which leads to an equal sign and ends with a three headed buff cartoon dog with round orbs on the chest seemingly meant to represent breasts.]

The first Modern Chimera is believed to have come into being at roughly the same time as the first Oros, around 200,000 years ago on Arisa. Similar to the Oros kin, much of early Chimera history is shrouded in mystery due to the incredibly harsh nature of the world at the time, however a decidely larger number of Chimera cave paintings survived into the modern day compared to Oros ones due to the fact that the Chimera have, for the longest time, made their homes within caverns and cave systems. It was in the caves of Arisa that the first Chimeran Cavern Cities were made, the largest and most intricate growing to rival the largest Oros settlements at the time.

Sadly, despite our ancestors brief unification that resulted in the Cerberi, relations between Chimera and Oros have not always been the most clean. Oros, particularly early Oros, were always suspicious and paranoid of the world around them and new creatures within, while young, unblooded Chimera are filled with adventurous zeal and curiosity. The two forces meeting had, for many thousands of years, resulted in brutal bloodshed on both sides. Eventually, at around 9036 BA, the first recorded civilized contact between Chimera and Oros occured, with both sides realizing the other were not enemies by default but victims of misunderstandings on the other's part. While this would not stop discrimination and bloodshed on both sides entirely for another two thousand years, it would be the start on the road to peace as trade between the two related races began in earnest. [A note is attached. It reads, 'At least most of the racial tension stuff between our species is long over by now. I don't want to imagine a world where I don't have Chimera cousins!']

One of the biggest and most important events in modern Chimera history occured within the 1280's, only 220 years before the arrival of Media and the creation of the Median. In this decade the two final prophets of the AmBaric faith, the Prophetess of Mercy and War respectively, were enlightened and given their roles. Both were Chimera, Corida the Prophetess of Mercy and Rosa, the Prophetess of War. It would be these two who united the various Nations to stand against the forceful conquest of the 4th Kingdom, with Rosa leading the final assault on the stronghold of the Kingdom herself. When the time came for both to ascend into the heavens, Rosa petitioned to stay further in an effort to try and create what she refered to as an 'Force for Peace'. Her efforts remain cloaked with mystery over the ages, but it is known that by the time she finally ascended into the heavens a hundred years after declining her original ascension, she had been unsuccesful in creating her force. [A note is attached. It reads 'Turns out, it existed. And we had to fight it. Turns out, spirit powered robots is a great idea on paper, but falls flat when it always leads to the Spirits powering them going nuts and, well.....Yeah, the Dark Spirit War wasn't too fun when they had hordes of magitech robots to back them up.']

The Chimera posses many distinctive biological properties. Their scales are fire-proof, heat resistant to over a thousand degrees centigrade, immune to bullets below a certain caliber and bullet resistant at and beyond said caliber, and are able to briefly breath fire capable of melting steel. While related to Oros genetically, Chimera do not inherently have unbreakable bones, though their durable skeletons are remarkably hard to break regardless. Only Chimera with an Oros father posseses this distinctly Oros trait. Furthermore, despite their far greater size compared to their Oros kin, Chimeran muscles are built differently, being made to be more flexible to give them the agiltiy and grace in combat that makes them so capable in battle. As a trade off for this increased flexibility, Chimera are not as proportionatly strong as Oros of a similar size, being only as strong as the Tall body-type among Oros kind.

Despite being related to the Oros, Chimera are able to use Mana based magic. They can, in fact, utilize magic like Spirits can, albiet to a more limited degree due to not being beings of magic. Before Mortalized Spirits arrived and began to live among the Oros, the Chimera were the first Mortal Race to utilize magical powers that were not Aether related, the exception being the Aether capable Aetherspites who are universally Magi but cannot use Mana based magics. Despite this ability to cast spells, most Chimera are only intereted in studying magic in so far as they can safely use it as a possible tool in their arsenal. Dedicated Chimeran sorceresses are uncommon, though those that do exist are mystical powerhouses outmatched only by their Spirit counterparts. [A note is attached. It reads 'I could say I'm annoyed that I can't use magic, but the fact I'm immune to direct applications of magic is too good of a trade off for me to want to give up!']

Their ultimate, secret weapon, however, are their large, notable tails. At the end of these tails is a large, mouth like structure, one that is capable of producing a truly incalculable number and array of biological and chemical substances, as well as being able to ingest and safely analyse all known biological and chemical components, even thoughs inherently toxic to biological organisms. This ability to inherently break down, reconstruct, and analyse virtually all things biological and chemical has made Chimera masters of biological and chemical sciences. A Chimera incapable of breaking down and accurately analysing a biological substance by having their tails ingest it are unheard of.

These tails are thus their key weapon in most situations, allowing them to launch streams of corrosive and toxic acids, spew forth clouds of poison gasses, healing sprays to aid injured friends, or analyse a hostile it has taken a bite of for possible weaknesses. This, combined with their tough teeth and claws, toughness, and agility for their sizes make Chimera dangerous even when unarmed. When going into combat, they arm and armor themselves like their Oros kin, donning power armor tailored for their tall and flexible forms and armed from everything from heavy machine guns as though they were rifles, to massive War Spears inherent to their culture. [A note is attached. It reads 'I've seen a Chimera with those freaking huge War Spears of theirs, and it's like they freaking dance or something in combat. I've also heard they have dances involving the spears, but after the Displaced arrived I can't search the Spotter search engine without seeing a completely different kind of 'pole-dancing.' XD']

These tails are also vitally important for Chimeran reproduction. Chimera use their tails to ingest and analyse the genetics of creatures they hunt. Upon finding useful traits in somethng they've hunted down and slain, they incorporate those genes into a selected ovum which begins to develop into a Chimera with traits taken from the 'donor' whom their mother's hunted. This method is exclusively for producing daughters the traditional way, by hunting worthy beasts, slaying them, and then harvesting their blood to produce strong daughters. They abstain from using this method from reproducing with other sapients, viewing it as disrespectful and rude to perform such a method on races who are not, quote, 'mindless animals'. That said, if a Chimera does reproduce with a male of a fellow sapient species, they utilize their conventional reproductive organs in order to do so. Regardless of the exact method, Chimera are always, without fail, born with a twin. In traditional and dangerous life styles outside of the cities, most Chimera lose their twin in the wilds to the dangers of the world and often become more morose and jaded out of a form of survivors guilt. [A note is attached. It reads 'I ask one of my Chimera friends, Tulia, if getting hit in the tail is as bad as getting kicked in the crotch. She said no, but it still hurts a lot, more closer to getting punched in the boob.']

Expecting Chimeran Mothers often form communal groups with other expectant Chimera mothers called a convocation, in which they discuss their reasonings for their particular selection in donor, or mate in the event of having produced their children using conventional reproductive methods with another sapient, as well as discussions of the pros and cons of each one's individual selection therin. Those that group together who are of like mind, or who share the same species of genetic donor for their respective children, form smaller groups called coteries. [A note is attached. It reads, 'Or as we call them nowadays, fan clubs. :V']

Newborn Chimera are similar to other newborns of the Civilized Races, Oros included, starting off with a more animalistic body-plan and mind-set before developing into their more conventional adult forms as they age. Young Chimera in particular lack their hoods they gain at puberty, and are at times described as, quote, 'noodles with limbs'. Their tails at this stage are large and flat, the mouths having yet to develop. Chimera remain in this 'noodly' form until they begin to go through puberty, at which point a series of growth spurts over the years bring them to their full adult height while their bodies mature and develop into the more distinctly feminine, hooded forms of their mothers, with their tails thickening and developing its mouth like structure, which finally opens up at the onset of their 18th year alive. [A note is attached, it reads 'Chimera have the power of noodle babies on their side, therefore they win. All other arguments are invalid.']

Young Chimera are not the analytical scientists their mothers are, instead being filled with a zest for life and adventure that sees them hunt deep into the wilds. Chimeras have incredibly strong bonds with their twin sibling, with the two individuals being virtually inseperable. It is very common for one sibling to die, causing the other to become morose and jaded as a side-effect. This often coincides with their increased focus on learning and expanding their knowledge of biology and chemistry, as well as the start of their desires to produce strong daughters that can better survive in the harsh wilderness. Many modern Chimera born in the safety of the Great Walled Cities rarely if ever see their beloved siblings die, with their love of adventure often being tempered by them finding work as couriers within the vast cities. Over time, this love of adventure wanes as they become more responsible, resulting in them beginning to delve into learning the sciences of their mothers albiet without nearly as much of the cynisism.

Modern Chimeran culture is not as varied as the different Oros Nations, instead being far more unified in nature due to their unified instincts. The average Chimera is fascinated with testing and learning all they can about the biological and chemical world around them, building up a catalog of information that allows them to build 'recipes' for use as weapons or healing salves as needed from their tails. The oldest Chimera in a clan will have a near unlimited capacity for creating a near infinite array of biological and chemical attacks to use from their tails. As a result, any Chimera more than a few years into adulthood is a living, breathing biological and chemical weapon's factory. Recognizing the potential danger they could be towards other races, Chimera living among other races such as in the mixed cultures of the Great Walled Cities voluntarily submit themselves to wearing restraint muzzle-harnesses over their tails' mouths, preventing them from using their ultimate weapon in any public place. Some Chimera, particularly those who posses friends and family who are not Chimera, take to wearing these restraints at all times of the day, even at home and when asleep. In the event of an emergency, particularly when their homes are under hostile attack from animal raids or beyond, Chimera have their specilized restraints legally removed for use in combat against the threat. [A note is attached. It reads, 'I've got a cousin who married a Chimera and now they're making bunches of nieces of mine! I've never once seen her without her tail restraint. Not once.']

While unified, however, they are not uniform: Each subspecies and individual tribe and clan of Chimera has their own unique microculture that makes each one as distinct as any Oros village. While joined by a common goal and racial unity, the Chimera of different tribes often butt heads over their distinct cultural differences. Some clans have been known to engage in competitive fueds over a particular sport or song, or even arguing over an ancient event their ancestors once engaged in. Furthermore, each tribe and clan posses their own distinct cultural apparel. Some utilize minimal tribal garb, their intimate regions already covered up by their own biology. Others don clothing styles as rich and diverse as the Oros' own, ranging from tailored dresses and suits to 'casual armor'.

In the modern day, the Chimera are diverged into 8 primary subspecies, known among the Chimera as 'Meta-Clans'. Each is distinquished by a specific coloration and certain biological assets that remain with all members of that subspecies, regardless of who their donor was. These include:

-Base: The 'base' form which all other Chimeran Clans descend from, the Base Chimera are distinguished by their blue and orange coloration and lack of 'designation' markings other than that attained by their Donor. Their culture is the dominant from which the others' variations spring from, being scientifically inclined to research the natural world and it's biological components. Most commonly seen from of Chimera, with a strong cultural preference for eating mushrooms and pork.

-Aqualung: An aquatic subspecies, the Aqualung is distinguished by their ultramarine coloration as well as the presence of retractible webbing on their fingers and does as well as the prescence of fins. Capable of amphibious living and with lungs that can breath in water, they are most commonly seen in large bodies of water such as lakes, rivers or on the shoreline. Have a preference for shellfish.

-Frostfang: An icy blue and white subspcies, Frostfangs distinctly lack the typical firebreathing of their other Chimeran kin in favor of breathing freezing gasses. They are not as stoic or aloof as their other kin or their Icebreaker Oros counterparts, instead having an animated curiosity for new things due to living in a frozen wasteland. Preference for ice whale meat.

-Magmaburn: A dark red and blazing orange colored subspecies, the Magmaburns posses large 'veins' of mystical energy resembling active veins of molten lava. When not in use, they are warm but not burning to the touch, but when they cut loose and unleash their full energy, they trun into blazing infernos capable of reducing near-by tracts of land into ash and glass. Despite their blazing capabilities, they are as reserved by default as most other Chimera subspecies, causing them to often culturally butt heads with their neighbors, the Firebrand Oros Nation. Their love of anything spicy rivals the Firebrands, and many disputes between the two powers has been solved not through violence but through contests of eating and drinking the spiciest dishes both parties have produced.

-Sandspitter: Rocky brown and sandy undertones are the coloration of this subspecies, the Sandspitters call the Sand Ocean their home, being the nearest breed to the Skyrunner Oros Nation. Sandspitters have rocky hides and an inherent geomantic capability that allows them to flow through the sand in a way that rivals the sand swimming of the other creatures of the Sand Ocean. They have a cooperative relationship with the Skyrunners: While the Skyrunners keep the skies clear, the Sandspitters are the ones to huntdown threats swimming through the sandy sea. Their prefered meal is Sandshark.

-Voltcaller: A stunning blazing yellow and electric blue, Voltcallers stand out in the mountain ranges they call home, their backs and outer portions of their limbs covered in zig-zagging electric 'spikes', Voltcallers are living lightning rods, their bodies a coinduit for electrical energy that lightning homes in on. They are immune to electrical damage and can store vast quanities of electricity in their form, particularly their spikes, making them living power-generators. This makes them indispensible with their Stonecutter neighbors, who to this day bring employment to Voltcallers as living lightning rods and batteries for their mountain embedded homes. They have a strong inclination towards Flicker-Tongue meat. [A note is attached. It reads, 'Back in college, I bunked with a Voltcaller named Halia. I still don't know how I was able to keep convincing her to be used as a living battery for my college science experiments.']

-Aetherspite: The most mysterious of the Chimera, colored a purplish hue and with dark purple spikes lining their hoods and tails, the Aetherspites fierce appearence belies a calm, analytical mind. Magi one and all, the Aetherspites have long lived in the territory of the Royalback Nation, and their differening governmental styles and ideologies has led to more than one war between the two in the past, though since the founding of the Median there has yet to be any new conflict between them. Their inherent Aetheric abilities and instinctive nack for using their powers makes them highly suited as teachers in the Magi Order, with the Aetherspites in the modern day being found in every Nation and City as part of their compact with the Median to aid in the location, protection, and training of other Magi. They are the least common subspecies, and the most inclined towards mysticism. No known preferences for food.

-Toxine: Black and glowing neon green, the Toxine Chimera are some of the wildest, most untamed of their entire species. They thrive in adventure and combat, having a desire for action and adventure that drives them to fight the most dangerous creatures they can. They are also able to produce toxins of a far higher lethality than their normal kin, with even their fire breath embued with a toxic effect. They live alongside the Bughunter Oros Nation, and have been both friend and foe over their long, long histories together. In the current day, most Toxine Chimera find themselves employed as Knights within the Median, using their lust for combat and their impeccable toxicity for the good of all. Prefer to eat poisonous fruit and tree frogs.

The Chimera are an extremely varied and extremely close ally of the Oros people, and have been for millenia at this point. With them and their fellow Chimeran racial sisters as our allies, it's commonly said that the Oros people come both as dogs and as serpents. It is not uncommon for many modern day cities, Great Walled or otherwise, to see a Chimera as a member of the inner cabinet, equally trusted by both their own species and others to make the right calls for the good of all. At the risk of sounding a bit sentimental, it's safe to say we're all one people now. [A note is attached. It reads, 'It makes me kinda sad that the Displaced sees animocity in places beteween their furred and scaled members. It doesn't make sense to me, especially since they're technically all one species! I love my Displaced friends but man, are they weird. They have to be for a weirdo like me to call them weird.']

(Sorry for the delay folks, new proper update today and it's a long one! Apologies for no special commissions this time around, but perhaps one day we'll see the Chimera visualized. Just not today.)
 
Last edited:
A Guide to Common Nullian Fruits, and Some Other Edible Plants. [3152 Edition]
A Guide to Common Nullian Fruits, and Some Other Edible Plants. [3152 Edition]

-

Greetings and welcome to all of the Median's newly Displaced populace. We understand thoroughly that, due to circumstances outside of your control, you have wound up on our world with no way back to your points of origin. We deeply apologize for any and all pain, suffering and/or dismemberment the survivors of the initial Displacement may have suffered due to our world's incredibly hostile nature, and we hope that your new homes in the wonderful City of Dreamhold/Byr will be a safe and comfortably accomodating place for you all to live in in peace.

Due to the 'changes' that were made to your bodies in order to make you compatible with living on Null and not instantly be dissolved into a bubbling boiling puddle of rotting biomass on contact with the contaminents in the air, we have prepared a short but helpful list of various native Nullian fruits, as well as some other edible plants, that will be continiously updated as time goes on as we help you integrate and get as close to comfortable with your new lives here as possible.

-

Apa: The Apa is one of the most common and widespread fruits on the Arisa continent of Null, coming in a massive variety. From Verdent Bitters to Brown Sugar Apas, to the thorny and massive Pineapa to the bitter 'Tomato' like Bitter Apa, its varied flavors and common nature means you will never want for any kind of Apa in today's modern age. While your biologies have been made fully compatible with Nullian foods, it must be noted that the Apa has some differences from the equivalent known to most Displaced, the Apple.

The juices of an Apa are highly caustic which, while a nonissue for the biologies of Civilized Races, can be a problem when trying to prepare them due to their rating on the Nullian Caustic Scale. Most modern kitchen equipment has been specially acid proofed to allow the ease of handling the corrosive juices, but one must be careful as it's not unknown for spills to occur, which can lead to damage to rugs or the floor. Another major difference, in place of many smaller seeds, the core of the Apa is a massive pit like seed roughly 20mm's in width. Contained within is a notable amount of cyanide, which can be useful to add an almondy taste to items if one lacks the nut for use in cooking. Safety warning, do not eat more than 10 Apa-Seeds in one sitting, lest you gain an upset stomach.

-

Pair: Comparable to the 'Pear' fruit known to your kind, the Pairs of Null posses a similar appearence in that they have a fat bottom half that tapers to a point at the top. They get their name due to the fact that they always come in twin pairs, attached at the stem. Similar to the Apa, they posses corrosive juices and a pit like seed, though these are less potent than the Apa varieties.

-

Banki: A crescent moon shaped food, Bankis are Null's equivalent to your 'Bannanas', though with several key differences. Namely, a Banki's peel is green in coloration, and one knows it is ripe when the peel develops several splotchy black spots. Furthermore, the seed of the Banki is actually located on the 'Handle' used to peel it open, and in the wilds it secrets a subtle pheramone that drives small fauna to dig a hole to lay the seed in to have it grow in a new, safe place. Aside from this, the Banki is overall a pretty harmless fruit, lacking any real notable deadly features such as caustic juices or other phenomena. Enjoy to your heart's content, or use in recipes as you see fit.

-

Plumpkin: Similar in appearence to the Pumpkins of your world, and with a meat of similar consistency to 'sweet potatoes', the Plumpkin is a hearty and nutrient rich sweet tasting delight that is availble year round in a wide variety of different kinds of a flavors. Despite this, however, a word of caution is necessary: The Plumpkin is known infamously as the 'Genocide Gourd', as when placed in fields with other forms of fruit or vegetables, they will spread their root systems to target and strangle to death these other plants before using their rotting forms as fertilizer for new Plumpkins to form from their strangling roots. As such, when handling Plumpkin seeds, it is absolutely vital not to allow any be planted near non-Plumpkins. If you or someone you know has a personal garden, do NOT forget to remind them of this fact lest they lost their entire crop and accidentally cause a small Plumpkin outbreak.

-

Ash-Berry: A most peculiar plant that is difficult to properly compare with Displaced native flora, the Ash-Berry resembles a common cherry with a brighter, fuller and shinier color, and spawned in massive quantiies around a singlular large trees out in the Ash Fields of the Southern Heat Plains. Nourished by the volcanic ash enriched soil, these trees periodically release spore like seeds from their tops, which float down and grow into new Ash Trees, assuming they are not eaten in their sappling stage by tree hungery creatures. The fruits of these trees do not contain seeds, and instead act as enticement or payment for animals to protect the trees from harm by flora consuming creatures. The Ash-Berry itself is the size of a cherry, but posseses a bitter taste. They find excellent use in bitter recipes, candies, and as flavoring for medicines.

-

Shellfruit: A fruit commonly found on islands owned and visited by the Wavechasers Nation of Oros, Shellfruit are similar to 'Kiwis'. They grow low to the ground and are covered in a soft-fuzz shell casing, contained within a slightly glowing flesh known for its delightful flavor. A word of warning, however, as it has been found that Shellfruit are unusually radioactive for fruit and consuming large quantities can lead to stomach pains. If you feel a slight burning sensation as you injest the fruit, do not panic. This is your bodies reaction to radioactive material kicking in as the flesh is consumed. It is not recommended to eat anymore than 10 Shellfruits in one sitting lest one get sick and have to spend a day recovering from the radiation dosage.

-

Nullian Fig: It is a fig. Same as in your world, though notably larger and encased in a tough armored shell, making them a favored fruit for Shinooks. Excellent for making popular fig based candies and cookies.

-

Orange: Named after it's orange coloration, it should not be confused with the 'Orange' from your world. The Nullian Orange is the size of a 'Grapefruit', and flavored with enough citrus flavor to make ones eyes water if not partially drained of its juices first. The outer shell can be 'cracked' and split open, allowing direct access to the four-sectioned meat within.

-

Spudder: Also known as the Tato, the Spud, or the Earth Apa, Spudders are starchy tubers that are like the tougher alien cousin of your 'potatoes'. Needing to be boiled in order to be edible, Spudders are an excellent source of nutrieient and extremely flexible for their wide, wide range of recipes and ways to prepare them. It is not reccomended to eat any that have glowing postules on them, as those have been infected by a tuber disease that leads to sickness to those who ingest the contaminated material.

-

Karaton: Also known as the Spike Root, the pale purple Karaton is akin to your 'Carrots', and are useful in a wide variety of recipes. Known for their health benefits including aiding in improving eyesight, Karatons are similar to other tubers in that they must be boiled to soften them for consumption, lest one tries to gnaw through roots as tough as rocks. As a bonus, their pointed, spike like shapes makes these tubers an excellent, if odd, make shift stabbing weapon in emergencies.

-

Rice: From Ice Rice in the Northern Frozen Wastes, to the Spice Rice of the Southern Heat Plains, rice is a form of plant that is not too dissimilar from those of your world. Coming in a vast, vast, vast variety, it is difficult to get sick of this staple food due to the nearly limitless dining combinations one can have alongside these countless plant seeds. Warning, do not attempt to eat Nullian rice without properly cooking them first, as in their natural state they are as tough as rock and with sharp ends capable of causing lacerations in the esophagus and stomach.

-

Wheat and Oats: Like rice, wheat and oats is another staple food shared between our world. With just as vast and exhautive a variety as their rice counterparts, Nullian wheats and Oats can be used to bake a wide, wide variety of breads, pasteries, and other foods. They are also notable for being edible without needing proper preparation, thus allowing one to subsit off them directly from the stalk, making for a quick if unimaginative meal.

-

Paynut: A strange nut without a direct counterpart on Earth ,though the flavor is said to be akin to 'Peanut Butter'. Paynuts are a form of plant that have developed a form of symbiosis with other creatures: Those tha bring it 'payment' in the form of a dead small animal will, in turn, be allowed to feed upon some of the large acorn like seeds produced at the end of its low hanging branches. Warning, however, for if one tries to take a Paynut seed without paying the toll first, the plant will inject an obscene amount of cyanide into the seed that completely ruins the vaunted and saught after flavor.

-

Choco Fruit: Unlike the 'cocoa' seeds of the world of the Displaced, the chocolate on Null hails from the dark skinned and vaguely heart shaped fruits of the Choco tree. The flesh is bitter, but when the ground or mashed fruit flesh mixed with sugar and sweetned with milk, chocolate is made to be consumed and enjoyed.

-

Vanilla Rose: Pink-tinted white rose flowers, Vanilla is extracted from the sap of these thorny roses before being processed into its final, safe to eat form as vanilla. Attempting to eat the sap before processing is unadvised, as it is toxic and ingesting too much can result in coma or even death, depending on quantity.

-

Heart Rose: Akin in flavor to 'Strawberries', the Heart Rose's syrup is extracted and refined in a process akin to the Vanilla Rose. Attempting to eat the unrefined sap is highly unadvisible, as it has been known to cause heart attacks in one or both of the ingestor's hearts in its raw form.

-

Sweet Hickory: Known to you as a 'Pecan', Sweet Hickory seeds is extremely well loved by Nullians, including Oros, and they are known to become highly alert when the prospect of being able to eat Sweet Hickory is brought up. Nothing makes an Oros your friend as quick as them baking (or buying from a store, they're not picky) Sweet Hickory Pie to share or as a gift.

-

These were just a quick list of some foods on Null, some more familiar than others, that we hope will help make your lives here on our world more comfortable. The full list of edible foods can be found online, though the digital copy of this quick list will be updated in the future with more common edibles for you to learn of and try for yourself!

[....This digital edition of the guide list is many, many, many updates behind the current update....]
 
Last edited:
Empusa.
Empusa.

[Sketches depict a bipedal, distinctly feminine race of serpentine beings, similar to though distinct from the Chimera. Indeed, they resemble a breed of shorter, stouter Chimera, with the biggest differences being their large fore limbs covered in crystaline material that seems to grow at their will. Sketches show them leaping around with extremely powerful jumps, tossing crystaline shards from their fingers, or slamming their fists into the ground to generate a spike of material a distance away. The other two largest differences appear in the form of their attitudes, which seem distinctly less stoic and more aggressive than their Chimeran counterparts, as well as the fact that, unlike the other Mortal Races of Null, they are distinct in that they appear to be hermaphroditic.]

[A note is attached. It reads, 'The smaller, angrier cousins of the Chimera. With peens. Overall, 8/10, too much anger.']

Scientific Name Translation: Crystal-Fist Serpent.

Average Size: 6'2 Feet/1.89 Meters tall.

Average Weight: 400 pounds/181.45 kgs.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A, Mono-Gendered species.

Habitat Range: All Biomes in the Arisa Continent.

Summary:​

Of the many, various species of Null, few have such similarity and yet such keen differences from their related races than the Empusa. One of the 3 Chimeric races and an offshoot of the Chimera, Empusa are direct relatives to their larger cousins, with their distinct differences being their smaller size, stouter frames, enlarged forelimbs and the ability to control and manipulate the crystalline growths covering their limbs. Useful for both defense and attack, this crystalline matter grows at the will of the Empusa, making them always useful no matter the situation.

The other, largest biological difference between Empusa and Chimera, and indeed between them and all other native Mortal Races of Null, is that they hold the distinction of being the only hermaphroditic native Mortal Race. It is believed that at some point in the distant past, an event similar to that which created the original Chimera occurred that led to the divide between Chimera and the Empusa, with one particular change being the introduction of functioning, internally stored male reproductive organs alongside their already existing female ones. Genetic research, however, indicates that this was likely less the result of some sort of mystical event, and more a concerted and focused effort by the Empusa in ancient times to turn themselves hermaphroditic using the same genetic altering capabilities they share with the Chimera. As a sidenote, while they are true hermaphrodites, Empusa almost always tend to refer to one another in female terms and pronouns, with many displaying annoyance or confusion when someone attempts to label them in they/them pronouns. [A note is attached. 'I've always wondered what life is like for the other side of the biological sexes, but I'm also still trying to wrap my head around how they were able to fuse the two sexes into one to make themselves as they are now.']

This aside, they share many biological similarities to their larger cousins: Fireproof scales, mawed tails, bullet resistant, and more. However, one notable difference is that their smaller sizes overall makes them less durable in the long run compared to their larger cousins. As a result, it is not uncommon for Empusa to develop an aggressive state of being in order to directly counteract their relative vulnerability. The stereotypical Empusa is short-tempered, easily annoyed, and always on the verge of tearing something's head off. While it is true that their aggressive tendencies are markedly more notable than most other Mortal Races, it is nowhere near as uncontrolled as the stereotype would suggest. Some have suggested that this higher aggression is linked to their dual-sexed nature, though genetic research has long since confirmed that theirs is true hermaphroditism, and highly stable with little to no actual hormonal issues. The aggression is directly linked to a survival mechanism for the wilds due to their smaller sizes.

While armed with claws, fangs, chemical spewing tails and magic, the Empusa's claim to fame revolve around their crystalline powers. Covering their forelimbs, these crystals grow at astonishing rates in mere seconds at the Empusa's willpower. Able to be lobbed in volley's for ranged combat, used in melee as unarmed amplifying tools, or even in makeshift repairs and construction, these gems posses a lattice structure that makes them nearly as hard as natural diamond and, thanks to the ability of the Empusa to manipulate their growth as they see fit, these gems can be shaped to minimize weak points or fracture sites. Sonic attacks at ultra high frequencies can match and thus destroy these crystals same as many others found in nature, though the Empusa's control over them is such that they can alter the crystalline frequencies of their gems, allowing them to change the requirements for their shattering by weaponized sound. [A note is attached. It shows a sketch of a crystal shard tied into a necklace. 'Some people say that having an Empusa crystal shard on your person is good luck. An Empusa friend of mine, Dara, just says that it's a good way to make money of people who'll believe anything.']

As a society, Empusa live and work alongside their sister races, the Chimera and the Cerberi, often acting in a support role by creating barriers or aiding in construction. Some say this contributes to their kinds signature sour attitude, though this is highly unlikely as Empusa are known to flock towards safety more readily than even other Mortal Races. In the modern day of the Great Walled Cities, Empusa have all but abandoned their old ways of living to take up homes in the GWC's. Outside of their natural talents, Empusa are just as capable as anyone else of taking on any role in society they are educated and trained for. From police forces to attornies to construction workers, Empusa can be found in any part of society the same as any other race. Interestingly, it has been found that Empusa born and raised in the safety of the GWC's lack their kinds signature tempers, being as calm and collected, though just as capable of individiual personality, as Oros or their own sister races.

Despite this, similar to the Chimera and Cerberi, for safety reasons, it is common for Empusa living among other races to willingly put on tail-muzzles to prevent any accidental chemical spills or similar incidents. Additionally, those out in public tend to wear specialized gauntlets and boots to prevent the use of their at times highly destructive crystaline powers. As with their more recognizable larger cousins, in the event of an attack, these restrictions are removed in order for them to properly defend themselves in combat.

Omnivorous as with the other Mortal Races, Empusa distinctly have an interest in eating gemstones, often describing them in flavors that no other species can taste save the Tara Rabbits. Empusa who partake in eating gems often are limited in the modern day by what they can actually purchase from the store, though some Empusa run restaurant chains have taken to producing and selling artificial gemstones for commercial consumption. Eating elemental gemstones have been known to empower the Empusa with elemental power in their crystals, though this is usually only a temporary effect. [A note is attached. 'They say Empusa invented rock-candy my mixing a softer version of their crystals with sugar. Not sure if this is true or not, but I could believe it.']

In terms of reproduction, Empusa are distinct among their sister races in that, rather than taking in genetic information with their tails to produce their offspring, Empusa use the genetics acquired to provide enhancements to their young, which they produce via conventional reproductive activity. Two Empusa who are mated with one another will usually impregnate each other in the same encounter, before both producing a set of twins. This higher rate of reproduction is compounded by the fact that Empusa only need 6 months in the womb to gestate when not factoring in an Oros parentage. In the old days before the Great Walled Cities, this higher reproduction rate was necessary due to their relative lack of size, power, and durability, making them easier to be slain in the wild by wild animals. In the modern day, Empusa make up about 40 percent of all of the Chimeran Races that are alive, though the lack of environmental pressures and threats against them have diminished their need to replenish their numbers so often.

Empusa are divided into the same 8 Meta-Clans as their Chimera cousins, though they are less extreme in their appearences. For example, a Voltcaller Empusa has smaller volt-spikes than the Chimera version. The big change for Empusa is the elemental effects they are naturally abel to use, which very depending on their Meta-Clan. Voltcaller Empusa can charge their crystals with electrical power, while Magmaburns can enfuse theirs with burning flame and explosive power. This gives the Empusa a distinct advantage when it comes to elemental combat as this combined with the flexibility of their crystals allow them to take combat advantages that their more conventional Chimera cousins cannot hope to replicate. [A note is attached. 'Dara always seems a little smug when she's talking about this, which I guess is fair. If I could shoot explosive ice crystals from my hands, I'd be smug about it too. XD']

As varied and more numerous than their Chimera cousins, Empusa are a common sight in many GWC's, both in Chimeran specific communities and in general living spaces. Despite their fearsome reputation for being ill-tempered, in truth they are just as personable, if more irritable, as any other species, with even the aggression being nonexistent for those born in the safety of the GWC's. Fascinating to behold for their many biological wonders, Empusa are a window to the wider, stranger world we live on.
 
Last edited:
Cerberus.
Cerberus.

[Sketches depict a bipedal, distinctly feminine race of large, well muscled and three headed canines. They appear to be longer snouted relatives of the Oros, having large hulking tails akin to the mouthed ones of the Chimera and Empusa. Their bodies are well muscled, clearly built for perfomance and strength rather than speed or aesthetics, with their forearms being large with large, sharp clawed hands, their feet digitigrade and built to carry their bulk around. some sketches indicate they are able to go down on all fours in a primal gait for massively increased speed or long distance running. Their three heads are next to one another, side by side, and they each display very clearly distinct personalities, indicating they are each with their own personality and intellect. Other sketches depict the Nullian Cerberus guarding locations in full armor, while others show them smithig materials from molten cauldrons using their bare hands, fire coming from their mouths and tails to heat up a block of metal to shape it into new forms, and even engaging in sportly behavior alongside Chimera and Oros.]

[A note is attached. It reads, 'I have a Cerberus auntie who married into the family. Love you Auntie Dottie/Rottie/Bottie!']

Scientific Name Translation: Three Sister Heads.

Average Size: 8'2/2.5 Meters on average.

Average Weight: 1500 pounds/680kg's on average..

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: N/A, mono-gendered species..

Habitat Range: All Biomes in the Arisa Continent.

Summary:​

The world of Null is no stranger to biological or evolutionary oddities, with one being hard pressed not to find some creature that defies even the tentative norms of our homeworld in some fashion. As such, the last of the 'Three Sisters' family line, that being the family line of the Chimera, is one such oddity that even the most experienced and seasoned of evolutionary biologists on Null can only shrug at the truth and press on without lingering for fear of their own sanity falling apart. This species is of course the Cerberi.

The Cerberus is, like the rest of the Chimeric line, a mono-gendered species, consisting of all females and whom are biologically linked to the Oros. Unlike the Chimera and Empusa, who both split off from the same family line as the Oros millions of years ago, the Cerberi is the unexpected and near inexplicable result of the two family lines briefly rejoining to produce the Cerberi. While the specifics are still murky, what is known is that millions of years ago when both the Chimera and the Oros were beginning their rise to bipedal sapience, the two family lines rejoined, likely through the interbreeding of the female Chimera and male Orowolves, which would result in the first ancestors of the modern day Cerberi to arise. [A note is attached. It depicts at cartoon wolf standing on his hind legs and leaning against a counter top while looking at a primordial cartoon Chimera. A speech bubble over the wolf reads 'Hey baby, come here often?']

The most notable feature of these large canine women is their three heads. Despite what some may believe, these trio of heads are not, in fact, the exact same individual displaying different aspects of themselves. Rather, the heads are each their own being, thus making each Cerberi a set of triplets sharing a single massive body. Careful analysis reveals an extraordinary reason behind this biological facet of themselves: All of the races of Null posses a number of redundant nervous systems flowing through their body. In the Cerberi, however, these nervous systems instead of being part of a single being have splintered into three distinct, but connected, individuals sharing the same body. As a result of this, a single Cerberus technically has four given names: The name of each sister-head, as well as the 'body name' they all share to refer to them as a whole. [A note is attached. It reads 'Auntie Mel is her Body Name, but I always make sure to call all of them by their names.']

One of the most incredible aspects of this splintered multi-person nervous system is the fact that there is no conflict between the sister heads for control. A healthy Cerberus will always have the central, dominant head in control of the body with their sisters acting in support across a wide range of scenarios, including but limited to taking over in the event of damage to the central head. This is such that even if a head is completely destroyed or removed, the sister of that head is not actually dead but 'buried' into the rest of the nervous system, still communing with her sisters until her head is either reattached or regrown over the course of a handful of days through regeneration. As such, it is deceptively difficult to kill a Cerberus, with some records indicating those who had all three heads severed would survive to regrow their heads if brought to safety and not left to be slain by wildlife.

In terms of their other, more apparent physical attributes, the Cerberi are massive, standing at 8'2 when standing up straight and a consistent 3/4ths of a ton outside of armor, most of this being muscle as well as hyper dense layers of blubbery fat beneath the skin akin to the Oros and Chimera. They are extremely well muscled and have a strength that makes them easily the strongest of all the Mortal races on Null. They are even stronger than Mortalized Erui tiger spirits, capable of lifting and throwing in excess of 50 tons. Despite being relatively slow and unagile compared to the Chimera and Oros, they are still fast enough to react to incoming missile fire, allowing them to slap aside arrows and missile fire alike, feats that when combined with their armor and natural durability allows them to come out completely unscathed when dealing with the latter. [A note is attached. It reads 'Even without the armor, these ladies are hella tough. Anyone who thinks one missile is enough to take out an unarmored one is in for a very, very, very nasty lesson in violence.']

Where the Chimera and Empusa could spray biological and chemical sprays from their tail-mouths, the Cerberi are able to breath toxic flames from theirs, a natural flamethrower that can reach in excess of 500 meters at maximum pressure and firing a burning substance that incinerates the target with flames in excess of 2000 degrees centigrade. Similar to the Chimera and Empusa, Cerberi are fireproof inspite of their furred bodies. Their flesh is inantely fireprood like their sister species, though the fur is kept this way through the natural production of an oddly wax like coating that gives them a distinctive sheen and oddly chalky texture when felt. Without this natural waxy coating, their fur would catch fire and burn off from the first instance of them breathing fire from any of their mouths, leaving them alive and healthy but completely hairless.

Despite their physicality and capacity for great destruction, Cerberi are not an inherently violent species. The average Cerberus is, in fact, a calm, happy go-lucky individual who would prefer to make friends than cause bodily harm, though ironically they consider a melee struggle without weapons to be friendly play rather than actual combat. This caused problems in ancient times, before the unity of the modern Mortal races, as historically young adult Cerberi would encounter Oros and attempt to engage in play behavior to assert friendly relations, with their concept of play resulting in the Oros attacking with intent to cause injury. It was these encounters with the early Cerberi, however, that cracked the old preconceptions of non-Spirit, non-Oros beings, however, as their usage of articles of clothing to protect their intimate portions destroyed the idea of them merely being animals.

Historically, Cerberi have used their great strength and innate ability to resist extreme temperatures to forge and smelt, resulting in them being the origins of armor and weapons among the Chimeric races. This combined with their capacity for destruction meant that many early Chimera Cavern Cities were guarded by Cerberi guards. In the modern day, Cerberi work with the Erui in the production of high quality, hard to produce artisan armors and weaponry. It is also most common to see Ceberus soldiers armed with a hulking shield in their off hand and a powerful cannon system in their other in addition to their Powered Armor and it's various sister-head controlled subsystems and weapons. [A note is attached. It reads 'I got my start in engineering thanks to my Aunties teaching me about tech stuff while she was teaching my cousins too. I have her to thank for where I am now with my skills!']

One curious thing about their biology is their method of reproduction. While the Chimera can sample genetics with their tail mouths to produce daughters, and Empusa are hermaphrodites, Cerberi without a mate can produce offspring through a process of parthenogenesis that partially recombines their DNA, thus resulting in their daughters not being exact copies or clones of the mother. While not perfect, this allows for enough genetic variability in their species even without factoring in those who had actual fathers that no one disease or biological outbreak is a severe threat to their species as a whole. However, it is not uncommon for two Cerberi to become mated with one another, and mutually bite one another's tail mouths in a 'kiss' to exchange biological data, resulting in the formation of a new Cerberus with traits from both mothers.

Regardless of how the infant is formed, it takes approximately 11 months for the mother to produce a single pup. Upon being born, due to sharing the same number of breasts as all other Civilized Races on Null, the pup's three sister-heads compete for spots to suckle, with the head farthest from the nipples having a distinct disadvantage. As a result, the central lead head always is fed while either of her sister heads could or could not be fed, depending entirely on how they are held. It is believed that the sister that is not fed would go on to become the more assertive or aggressive of the sisters, though studies remain inconclusive on this. [A note is attached. It reads 'I don't know the answer either, but if I was deprived of the sweet bosom nectar of life as a baby, I'd be pretty pissed oof too.']

Similar to the Oros, Cerberi have differing phenotypical subspecies that results in their specific colorations and fur patterns. Having 7 varieties like their Oros forefathers, all possess the same abilities and attributes. For example, Stonecutter Cerberi are highly resistant to electrical or lightning strikes, while Wavechaser Cerberi have a vastly increased lung capacity and swimming ability. The Firebrand Cerberi take their existing immunity to fire as Cerberi and amplify it, making them highly resistant to thermal damage even in excess of what the Chimeric line already possess, with them being resilient to low level plasma blasts that would be enough to melt armor or immolate an Oros.

The Cerberi are an admittedly odd, but important member species of Null's Civilized Races. It is thanks to them in the early years of civilization that advanced forging and smelting techniques were possible, and thus modern day technology is owed in part by their contributions to the fields of metallurgy and engineering. [A note is attached. It reads, 'Cerberi are awesome. I know from experience, I've got loads of cousins that are them now! Love you Auntie Dottie/Rottie/Bottie!']
 
Last edited:
Goods of the World of Null, 3.
[A vintage, old timey poster can be seen, depicting what seems to be a semi-anthropmorphic rabbit of androgenous shape made of ink doing what appears to be a dance with a top hat and cane which appear to also be made of ink. Words follow, reading 'See the amazing wonder of the moving picture, starring the one, the only, Blotty Bunny! Watch the latest mover with only 5 Bits admission, 2 Bits for children!']

-

[A newer, though still vintage physical poster, can be seen, depicting what seems to be a pair of desperados facing each other in the wild outlands of a dry desert at dusk. The words on the poster read 'After over 30 films, the Gungrave Chronicles finally comes to an end. Catch the Last Shot, now in theaters for all the civilized world to see.']

-

[A digital advertisement for a graphic novel series is shown, depicting an almost robotic figure in a space suit like attire, dodging laser fire amidst the stars while firing back at an unseen enemy, the figure's large expressive mono-chromatic eyes on its LED visor winking at the audience while it seemed to be wagging the index finger on the hand without a weapon like they were imitating another gun firing. 'Space Cop Groove, Volume 1, now on sale for only 5 Dollups.']

-

[A digital advertisement depicts a 12x16 inch tray with a pair of carry handles on the sides and a sophisticated looking tumbler lock looking device on the multicolored metalic sheet covering the tray. Words on the tray read 'Stonecutter Menu 14, Halwurst and Meatloaf with garlic mashed tubers, Veggie Pocket, and spiced apa pudding desert.' Words follow, reading 'Military H-Ration Surplus Sale. Stock up now with all of your favorite H-Ration meals at discount prices and Nullian Kitchen approved seal of quality!']

-

[A recruitment still ad is seen, showing an armored, poncho adorned member of the Hunter's Guild motioning over an array of cooked meat cuts and ornately crafted plant based cuisines. 'The Hunter Culinary Organization, for the taste of old fashioned home style hunting cuisine at affordable prices. All meals certified fresh, all parts of flora and fauna used, and all cooked by proffesional culinary staff with no subsitutes save what is explicitly requested by the patron. 20% gratuity for all field Hunters who participated in ingriedient hunt added to all orders, requires a minimum of one hour or longer to acquire ingriedients for meals and additional hours based on meal prep time for completion of dish. First come, first serve policy in place, no refunds unless order is confirmed to have come out wrong or one hour delivery promise is not met. The HCO: Putting quality first in every meal™.']
 
Last edited:
Grimoire: Great Spirits and Spirit Races of Lacuna.
[The following is a transcript from a section from the Grimoire of the Magi Order, written by an unknown author.]

Great Spirits and the Spirit Races of Lacuna (As of 3162 AA)

'And so, when the surface of Null still cooled and the world of Lacuna was but darkness, there came into being the Day and the Night. Sararu, the Sun, and Luraru, the Moon looked over their desolate domain and began to search, for others were yet to come.'-Excerpt from the Chapter of Beginnings, the Book of the Great Spirits.

The world of Null which we mortals call home is a place of deep, and old, magic, much of which can be considered primordial in nature. This ancient magic is further evidenced by the nature of the Spirit World of Null, the Spirit World of Lacuna, a parralel world directly connected with our own Mortal home. Almost paradoxically, while Null is incredibly hostile and brutal towards life, Lacuna is virtually a paradise by comparison. While far from perfectly safe, due to a variety of Spirit wild life and flora that can pose a threat to one's life in addition to geographical threats, the level of lethality one can encounter in average day to day life is well below that of the Mortal plane it is tied so closely to. Why this is is a question for the ages, though one popular theory is that Lacuna is where all of the 'good' of the world was coallessed, while the Mortal plane of Null was where all the ills and cruelties of nature were condensed.

Whatever the reason, Lacuna is an almost mythical paradise by comparison to its Mortal counterpart, which for many millenia its domains of the dead have served as the final resting place for the souls of many Mortals. This is because, for the longest time, the Mortals of Null had their pains soothened and their tragedies heard by the Great Spirits of Lacuna, Gods who are uncomfortable with being refered to as such and whose love for the Mortals of Null is reciprocated even to this day, even millenia after the changing of the majority's religious leanings from the Pantheon of the Great Spirits to direct worship of the Creator on high.

The story and history of the Great Spirits and Lacuna is long and complex, so for the sake of brevity it will be summarized as such: When the world of Null was still cooling and developing in the primordial early days of the universe, Lacuna had already begun to form over its Mortal counterpart. From there, the first 7 of the Great Spirits would form, and from them would come the first inklings of civilized thought and form would spring forth. Love, friendship, conflict, and much more would be informed by these primordial beings. The first Civilizations would come forth as the Spirit Races connected with their respective Great Spirit arose, in the distant past long before Mortal life achieved comparable sapience.

Eons would pass and the Great Spirits would come to take notice of the Mortal life developing in the realm so next to their own. It would be the Civilized Races, the Oros the first that they would notice, that would gain their attention and their pity as they observed how short and violent their lives surviving in the wilds of Null were. This pity would quickly become affection and cross into the realm akin of familial love as the Mortals were unofficially adopted by the two wedded Great Spirits of family, Tararu and Hararu. While the Mortals of Null were well on their way to developing technologies and techniques that would lead to the modern day Civilized way of living, it was thanks to the Great Spirits helping them improve their capabilities and understanding of their arts and crafts that such rapid development would occur.

In the times since, 7 more Great Spirits would arise in the Era of Mortals. Where the Primordials represented basic, ancient concepts, these 7 new Spirits would represent the more complicated intricacies of modern civilization. Art, music, and law and order would be but some of the things they would represent, and with their ascension to the Pantheon's ranks would result in the current day 14 Great Spirits that inhabit Lacuna and their love of the people.

It is one thing to speak of the Spirits in generalities, but it is another to speak of each one in depth:


———

The Primordials.

———

[Sketches depict two anthropoidal beings standing side by side, each looking outward with their backs to one another. One was a masculine figure, clad in silvery armor lacking ornate furnishing save a cloak of sunlight. His head was in his hands, seperated from his body, with fiery sun stuff flowing from the hole in his neck and head, his monocromatic eyes blazing from the slit visor of his helm covered head. The other was distinctly feminine, adorned in an armored dress of moonlight made physical, her exposed flesh furless and silvery grey, like the surface of a moon turned malleable and soft. Her face was exposed and aside from her monocromatic silvery eyes and flowing, trailing hair of the night sky, she lacked any discernable features on her smoothed face.]

The first of the Great Spirits to form and inhabit the world, Sararu the Day of Sun and Life, and Luraru the Night of Dreams and Death, are the co-leaders of the Pantheon, with Sararu taking on most day to day responsbilities while Luraru provides rule in the night time. The two are neither lovers nor are they wedded, but hold each other with a clear and distinct respect for one another that makes them equals in the other's eye. It is said they are two halves of one being, though the truth of this statement is known only to them and they have no intentions of sharing if it is truth or lie. In ancient times, Sararu was more arrogant and Luraru more vain, though after a humbling journey that would see Sararu permenantly decapitated when daring to boast against the Weaver of the World herself, Null,the two would learn from the wisdom gained in this adventure to both become kinder, humbler rulers over their domains.

In the modern day, the two rarely interact with anyone outside of official buisness as both tend their respective domains in Lacuna or when overseeing official matters of the Pantheon Court. They are notable for being the only two Great Spirits without a respective Spirit Race tied to them in any capacity.

——

[Sketches depict two anthropomorphic beings, a brown and tan furred female rabbit and a blue and purple scaled and orange finned male fish respectively as they gaze at one another in loving affection. The rabbit is stocky and powerfully built as her exposed arms and stubby, paw-footed feet show more than a fair share of muscle, though a kindly maternal air surrounds her and her face is in a smile as she looks to her male counterpart. The male fish, meanwhile, is taller and more slender, long limbed and with webbed, large toed clawed digits at the ends of his digitigrade legs, a simple tabbard over his blue scaled body. His face is long snouted and cat-lipped, and both had the same slit-pupilled eyes as the Mortals they care for.]

Believed to be the second of the Great Spirits to form, or at least the first ones Sararu and Luraru would find, the Great Rabbit Spirit of the Earth and the Great Fish Spirit of the Sea, Tararu and Hararu respectively, are two of the most beloved Great Spirits by both the Spirit Races and Mortals alike. Wedded together and sharing the aspects as the Great Spirits of Farming, Family, and Reproduction, as well as sharing an elemental power over Lightning from origins unkown, 'Mater' Tararu and 'Pater' Hararu formally 'adopted' the Mortal races of Null and were the ones to convince the rest of the Spirit Pantheon to have pity and mercy upon the plight of the Mortals of Null, sharing with them their knowledge and understanding of the concepts they represented to aid the Mortals improve their lives. It is for this reason that,even among the already high standing the Great Spirits posses over the Mortals of Null, Tararu and Hararu never fully stopped being referred to in the affectionate even as many of their Mortal followers moved on to embrace Ambarism.

Their respective Spirit Races, the Tara and the Hara, possess a similar physical resemblence to their respective rabbit and fish Great Spirits though tend to come in a wider variety of colorations, body types. While family's are compromised of any combination of the various Spirit Races, the close ties shared by the Tara and Hara sees these farmers and nature folk come together to have familys with one another the most often. Unique among the various Great Spirits, Tararu holds command over one race of Spirits without their own Great Spirit to lead them, the Flo. Plant like, tentacled dryads with five eyes, the Flo are viscious like the planets of Null, but capable of reason and understanding that allows them to live in harmony with their fellow Spirits. At the right hand of Tararu's seat on the Pantheon's Court of the Great Spirits, there is a smaller seat for whom the current leader of the Flo may sit in on their meetings, speaking with authority backed by Tararu herself.

As a notable side note, their close bond and married nature means that Tararu and Hararu are the Great Spirits with single-handidly the most numerous amount of direct children, with scores of legendary Tara or Hara heroes being the direct Demi-Great Spirit offspring of the two.

——

[Sketches depict two anthropomorphic figures standing side by side, facing outward from one another, a female icy white and blue scaled wyvern and a heavily muscled male antlered tiger. The Wyvern, possessing a calculating look in her eyes as a pair of spectacles perched on her beaked mouth, wore a dress of ice and crystalline shards sown together, while the male wore armored pants and a stained blacksmith's apron as a bright, friendly smile was on his lips.]

The next-to-final pair of Great Spirits found in the Primordial line, Laylaru the Great Wyvern Spirit of Knowledge, Wind and Ice, and Eruiru the Great Tiger Spirit of Strength, Fire and Forging are polar opposites in their manuerisms. Laylaru is cold and calculating, reserved and perceptive even among friends and loved ones, while Eruiru is a blazing inferno of laughter and friendly over affection. Laylaru is a collector of knowledge, both old and new, fantastical or real, with her libraries being a labarynthian metropolis of collected tomes and histories long lost to both time and even her fellow Great Spirits. Eruiru, meanwhile, enjoys the simpler things of life, be it working on his many mind-destroying brews, inventing new delicacies in the oven,or forging and crafting new weapons and armor of literal divine power and craftsmanship in his forge. It is often said that Eruiru can do virtually anything when drunk, and this is best exemplified when he once picked up the whole of the very ground of Lacuna before using it to hit a then still arrogant Sararu over the head with it all. These two polar oppostie extremes, despite their differences, are some of the most commonly seen together friends among the Great Spirits, often due to Eruiru messing with Laylaru in his and Yayairu's antics.

Their respective Spirit Races, the Layla and the Erui, are similar in physical structure as their respective Great Spirits, but with a wider range of colorations and personalities. Some Erui are avid book mice, while others perfer to toil in the gardens and disdain strong drink, while Layla warriors are just as common as their scholars and knowledge seekers.

Over the eons, the 'Three Friends' of the Great Spirits-Laylaru, Eruiru, and Yayairu, have more than once ingaged in intercourse with the other, forming a small but varied bunch of Demi-Great Spirits from their various couplings that have gone on to be famed heroes in their own right despite their bizarre family situation.

——

[Sketches depict three anthropmorphic figures, all three of them being the exact same person in three distinct appearences: A shut-eyed, stub-paw footed lanky fox of a creature that appears both in male and female forms as well as distinctly androgenous appearence. They wear no clothing though there is nothing to cover up and they are shown in a variety of dfferent strange motions of locomotion or activities that defy logical explination.]

The final of the Primordial line of Great Spirits to be found, Yayairu is the Great Fox Spirit of Foolishness, a strange and chaotic entity who acts on his whims when she desires them. Never a threat or threatening figure to those it dains to annoy at a particular time, Yayairu's foolish antics bely a cunning and at times ruthless mind that many Elder Gods have seen extermination by over the eons despite evidence to suggest he possess Elder elements himself. Possessing a strong, if twistedly odd in expressing it, affection for Mortals, Yayairu is often the first alongside Tararu and Hararu to speak up in defense of Mortals caugh in the crosshairs of the Great Spirit Court.

The Yayai share their Great Spirit's love of mischief making and tomfoolery, with them having developed a strong cultural practice and rapport with the Erui in their ceaseless Beer Raids against the brew-master tiger Spirits. While not a homogenous mono-culture, with various 'Clans' of Yayai each having different distinct cultural attributes, the overall perception of any Yayai is to expect foolishness to follow in short order, something even the most joyless of their kind acknowledge as an ever present risk whenever their kind is involved.

The non-Tararu/Hararu family line of Demi-Great Spirits, Yayairu is notable for having the absolute largest amount of children outside of the Great Rabbit and Fish Spirit's family, both from his encounters with the other Great Spirits in the pantheon as well as the rare occasion they have taken a Mortal partner to wed for extended periods of time. Despite the reputation of their father, the Yayai Demi-Great Spirits are some of the bravest and self-sacrificing, as well as most diverse in personality, of their kind, a fact their sire holds no small amount of pride over.

———

The Moderna.

———

[Sketches depict a distinctly male figure of varying forms, some more monsterous and others more Orosoid in appearence. The only consistency is the recurring use of the colors grey and gun-metal grey in the beings appearence. Below him in the sketches are two Spirit Races: One resembles the Flitter-Mice of Null, only anthropomophised: Bipedal, winged mice adorned with spectacles and clothing, coming in both male and female sexes. The other is a massive, feline inspired Spirit Race, built for combat and equipped with the capacity for flight with two retractible wings on their backs. They resemble larger, bulkier, anthropoidal felines compared to the smaller Irm, and possess what appear to be the same retractible male genitalia as Empusa, indicating they are hermaphrodites.]

The first of the Moderna Great Spirits to appear, or perhaps more accurate to say the last of the Primordials to make an appearence, Xarara is the Great Spirit of Mortal Life on Null. This is most evident by his lack of static form, and tendency to change and alter his appearence in a chimeric make up of various creatures of Nullian make up. Arguably the one with the closest ties to the Civilized Races of Null, Xarara is ironically the most distant, rarely if ever interacting with anyone, be they regular Spirit or Mortal, and only interacting with his fellow Great Spirits when needed or when giving reports from his patrols and monitorings of the world of Null. It is believed, in primitive times, that he protected Mortals from behind the shadows from Elders and Elder Gods, with the Elder Blood Moon of Yarah Dam/Senora Sanguine's current state being the result of his messy defeats and devourings of Elder Gods staining the moon with their remains, from which has risen the modern day Elderitch ecosystem currently upon it.

In break from 'tradition', Xarara does not have a Spirit Race that is a direct link to him, instead possessing two races that is said to have been actively crafted by him instead of sprining forth from the ether over time. The Aleph-Xara are a race based on the Flittermice of Null, possessing the ability to grow as large as a Normal Body-Type Oros, or become as diminutive as their inspiration. They are devoted to acting as scribes and assistants, almost on an instinctual level, towards the Mortal Races, finding employ everywhere from both the martially inclined and from those with more civil oriented lives. The Bet-Xara, meanwhile, are massive hulking Chimera inspired feline beings who are famous for their often overwhelming levels of power. Where their Aleph siblings were made to be scribes and assistants,the Bet were forged and crafted to be warriors against whom the best of Null would test their mettle against in order to prove their strength and to become stronger still, a role the Bet-Xara hold in high regard as their true calling in life.

Xarara has no children of his own direct bloodline, leaving him without any Demi-Great Spirits of his own.

——

[Sketches depict two females of anthropmorphic lineage, standing side by side with their backs to one another. One is a tall, lean creature with elements of deer, canine, and feline mixed in with a calico fur pattern, armed with a bow and adorned in a hooded cloak meant to blend in with her surroundings. The other, meanwhile, was tall and shapely, her appearence resembling a reptile or lizard woman with a snout and a pair of large, fin like frills that sprout from the sides of her heads and which run down down her neck and back. Her scales are black with a golden sheen, her dress woven of golden thread and a golden chalice running over with wine in one hand as she laughs a haughty laugh.]

Two of the earliest Moderna Great Spirits to appear, the Great Spirit of Travel and the Hunt, Rhutra, and the Great Spirit of Loot and Riches, Arara, are highly notable due to their shared unusual circumstances behind their birth. Before their arrival, their two Spirit Races, then known as the Tul and the Ren respectively, were the only two Spirit Races without their own Great Spirits, an anomaly nobody could explain for eons. It would not be until the Moderna age where Rhutra, after spending so long as but a dream for her people, finally appeared, materializing and becoming the Great Spirit to a people without one. Arara, meanwhile, had a distinctly different tale: Where Rhutra came into the world fully formed, Arara spent her life as just another Ren Spirit. The tale goes that she discovered and began to aid a Proto-Skyrunner Prince in his hunts, using her kind's power to grant small wishes to help him gain an edge in return for his kills providing her with strength to increase her power to grant more potent wishes. This would eventually reach a critical point where Ara gained such power as to ascend into Great Spirithood, an event that has never been able to be replicated before or after.

In the modern day, the Rhutra have made a name for themselves as skilled hunters and gamesmen, hunting the most deadly of game and most challenging of creatures to test their mettle on, while the Ara would be pulled out of their lives of answering meager wishes for coin to join their Great Spirit to share in the bounty of her wealth and prestige. Rhutra are always calico in fur pattern, while the Arara come in a wide variety of 'royal' colors, from jade greens to royal violets and the alluring golden scales, though the black, golden sheened scales of their Great Spirit is considered the most attractive and prized of all colorations.

Of the Great Spirits to have children of their own, Rhutra and Arara are tied for having the least to their name, Rhutra due to her focus on her duties in overseeing her people's honor rules in their hunts, and Arara due to having room in her heart for only one, now long lost individual.

——

[Sketches depict two females of differing appearence standing side by side facing outward from one another. One was a large, plump four armed moth woman adorned in a sparkling dress that one often saw worn by singers, while the other was an arachne styled spider-woman, her five eyed head lowered and hands clutched together as her hand woven and complicated dress preserved her modesty.]

The middle most of the Moderna Great Spirits, the Great Moth Spirit of Music and Revelry, Hurkora, and the Great Spider Spirit of Potions, Poison, and the Hearth, Irara, are polar opposites in terms of attitude and temperment. Hurkora is a loud, at times overly dramatic, diva of a woman who takes any and every opportunity to make her presence known and her voice heard to stand out in a crowd, while in comparison Irara is quiet and demure, preferring silence and solitude due to her shyness. Despite this, the two are noted for being close friends with one another, with Hurkora lowering her usually overpowering persona in meetings to make Irara more comfortable while Irara attempts to be more outgoing in the presence of her comrade. In addition, Hurkora is also known to be close and amicable friends with Arara,while Irara possesses a distinct and unusually friendly relationship with Yarairu, something that not even the other Great Spirits can quite understand, especially since their initial meeting infamously saw Irara so frightened that she leapt through the dimensional barriers seperating Lacuna and Null before landing on another planet in the solar system with enough force to leave a vaguely arachnid like mark on the surface of the world currently dubbed 'Arachnis'.

Two Spirit Races of these two particular Great Spirits, the Hurko and the Ira respectively, are noted for their distinct usefulness in day to day civil life. The Hurko, following in their patron's sted, have made a name for themselves as bards, minstrils, and musicians famed both on Lacuna and Null, while the Ira use their potion crafting to craft healing salves, or safe pesticides, for use in everyday occasions. The Ira are notable, however, for not being inherently demure like their patron, and have long since developed a potent and deadly reputation as assassins and poison makers that is at odds with their patron's shy and beloved persona.

In an ironic twist of sorts, Hurkora possess few children of her own, focusing instead on her passions of singing and fame, while Irara meanwhile is known to have mothered a great many children, almost exclusively as a result from friendly encounters turned romantic between herself and Yayairu. While much of these matters remain in private, it is known that in all these encounters, the ensuing coitus was commenced by Irara herself, usually after stringing up Yayairu, which the Great Spirit of Foolishness could only say on the matter a simple: 'Kinky'.

——

[Sketches depict two armored warriors standing side by side and looking away from one another, one male and one female. The female was an anthropomorphic, lioness like woman, her hair tied in a knot as a toothy grin spread across her features, helmet in gauntleted hands as she eagerly observed something off panel, while the male had a distinctly 'flat' face not unlike Sararu and Luraru, his skin black as pitch and his eyes a blaze of dazzling colors, pupils slit like all the others of Null. Instead of hair, his entire head seemed to be alight with a multi-colored flame of sorts.]

The final two Moderna Great Spirits to arise, Irmra the Great Rock-Cat Spirit of War and Strategy and Oriora the Great Spirit of Oaths and Locks are two very well known for their reputations. Irmra is noted due to when she appeared, she had shown up in the Dark Lands of the Dark Spirits, whereupn rather than using any of her godly powers, she would proceed to wage a one-woman guerilla war against them using nothing but her own stength of arms and any weapon she found along the way for the next 2,000 years within the Spirit Realm, only ending when the Dark Spirits finally relented and appealed to the Great Spirit Court to finally 'take her away'. Oriora, meanwhile, appeared with little fanfare by comparison, showing up one day while dragging into the Court a Spirit who had broken a sacred oath to the Great Spirits. The two are endowed with great martial prowess and insight, which they use to train their people as soldiers and as law enforcement for the Spirit World respectively.

Peoples of great discipline and honor, the Irm and Orio are both warriors who take their assigned roles very seriously. Even those two deviate from the tradition of soldiers or law-bringers seem to have an almost compulsory drive to give their chosen path in life their all. Driven by instincts of law and order, both peoples are highly unified and tied to their families with bonds that are unshakable, even by Nullian standards.

In terms of children, Oriora has had none, focusing his energies in enacting the laws set forth to govern the Spirit World. In comparison, and in a twist of fate no one saw coming, Irmra is the mother of a vast horde of daughters that were born, even more amazingly, from the wedded union between herself and one of the older sister's of the Weaver Null herself, the Aether Being of War Aegia.

———

In summation, the Great Spirits and their Spirit Races of Lacuna are a diverse assortment of beings, all of whome are held in high regard by both Spirit and Mortal alike. Their actions in protecting and guiding the development of civilization on Null is extensive and cannot even begin to be covered by this Grimoire, needing entire volumes to cover comparitively meager stretches of their long, storied histories.

One final word is worth mentioning: All the Spirits spoken of so far have been what are recognized as 'Light' Spirits, beings who despite their otherworldly and neigh-unkillable natures might indicate look as flesh and blood as any Mortal. There also exists Dark Spirits, beings born in the Dark Lands who are the mirror counterparts to the Light Spirits, filled with aggression and destructive impulses. Despite this, they are NOT demonic or fel in nature, and indeed are empowered if struck by the divine magics of the Great Spirits of Lacuna, indicating a deep relationship between the two sides that goes beyond the scope of this particular Grimoire. Despite their often aggressive natures, Dark Spirits are still civilized beings with their own cultures, societies, and individual ways of life same as any other life form on Lacuna or Null of sapient thought, driven by their close bonds with one another to protect and empower one another.

Only time will tell if the divide between Light and Dark Spirits will be mended, or if further rifts will divide them still.​
 
Last edited:
True Dragons.
True Dragons.

[Sketches depict several species of large, semi-bipedal dragons living on Null. They are varying in shape and color, some blue and with shark like skin and facial features, others with more 'typical' draconic features and red scales, while others still are bulky, green scute clad, a with a mixture of crocodilian and terrapin features. Their large, bulky arms end in four digits, three fingers and a thumb, which can be used to grasp things or to form fists, with their forearms possessing large, closeable cavities that, going by the sketches, can fire out a variety of attacks based on the Dragon's elemental qualities. They have wings, though appear to use them through the power of magic rather than physically beating them to achieve flight. Finally, sketches show them living in the wilds, sleeping or fighting off Hunters that stumble upon them. Interestingly, at least one seems to be weaing a cap and with a satchel slung over their shoulder.]

Scientific Name Translation: Mystic Lizard. [A note is attached. It reads 'I bet they'd be nicer to us if we didn't officially label them as 'lizards'.']

Average Size: Depends on subspecies..

Average Weight: Depends on subpecies.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Usually N/A, Asexual Species.

Habitat Range: All over the Arisa Continent.

Summary:​

The world of Null is comprised of two primary, but deeply conjoined aspects: The Mundane, the physical and 'normal' elements that comprise the matter and base elements that make up the world itself, and the Mystical, the magical component that seeps into and flows through every layer of the planet and the majority of its creatures. One particuarly kind of creature, the oldest known surviving of its kind in fact, is said to be te embodiement of the Mystical despite their corporeal forms: The True Dragons. [A note is attached, depicting a surprisingly good sketch of a True Dragon standing upright with nobility as it stares off into the distance.]

True Dragons, as the name suggest, are the truest form of draconic being on Null, being distinct in both form and capability from their more mundane draconic counterparts. Standing in a typically hunched, bipedal stance with their arms held close to their forms at their front, True Dragons range greatly in precise power and form due to their seven subspecies, as well as by individual age. Typically speaking, there are rarely if ever more than exactly 700 Dragons of each subspecies at any one time, and the vast majority of these make their homes far from domains of the Civilized Races, typically living to the West in the Land of Giants.

True Dragons came into being several million years ago, and have changed remarkably little since their introduction in the fossil record. Indeed, some evidence suggests the first Civilizations on Null were made by the True Dragons in these primordial times, with some structures and even whole cities from these bygone eras still standing to this very day. However, at some point between the introduction of mammals and the rise of modern day Civilized Races, the True Dragon's civilizations fell to ruin, with its caretakers leaving for the wilds of the world to enter a great slumber, or to live simpler lives not unlike normal animals. Despite this, True Dragons are still intelligent, sapient beings capable of speech, and it's all too common for one to give a stern, quick warning to any that stumble upon them to leave them be, lest their wrath be invited upon the interloper to have disturbed their slumber.

Still, a handful of True Dragons continue to this day to display Civilized traits, such as wearing articles of clothing or carrying bags, and living among modern day Civilized Races as members of society. The most famous is the scholar Induri, a Hydro Dragon who has taken a feminine persona who wanders the world, recording all she learns from the Civilized Races and their cultures. More than once, the very author of this book has traded information with her on subjects both niche and broad. [A note is attached. It reads 'I actually met Induri once myself. Well, 'met'. I just listened in to a lecture of hers when she stopped by to live in her home here in Dreamhold, but it still counts as meeting her damn it!']

In terms of shared biological features, the Arm Cannons and wings are two of the linking components across all True Dragon species. The arm-cannons are opened recesses on top of their forearms that act as focusing points for their elemental powers to escape outside of their bodies rather than exclusively from the mouth. The arm-cannons are used typically for close combat situations and are thus excellent in melee engagements. The wings, meanwhile, act as focusing points for contra-gravitic power. They do not flap their wings to fly: Rather, they begin to shake and glow the tell tale oily-rainbow hue of contra-grav wing magic used by many Nullian creatures for sustained flight. This allows them to float and, with applications of magic to give them jet-forces of power for propulsion, true flight.

As previously mentioned, there are 7 subspecies of True Dragon, each with their own distinct looks and powers. Hydro Dragons are sleek and long, having sharp, shark like features on their forms and a power over water ranging from blistering steam to hydro-cutters from their arm-cannons. Detonation Dragons are more typically what one images a dragon to look like, being fiery red and packing explosive detonations as their power. Corrosion Dragons are massive and bulky, with large armored bellies and reinforced beaked craniums, they live in swamps and bogs and spit acid bile and corrosive gas at their enemies. Shock Dragons are sleek and sharply armored, being the fastest of the Dragons and launching electrical discharges at their foes. Frost Dragons are layered in armor of true ice, spitting forth their mystical cold at a moment's notice. Noise Dragons have bat like qualities and fur, and launch concussive, destructive sound waves at their foes. Finally, the Graviton Dragons are the most illusive and darkly lit of all the Dragons, using the forces of gravity to crush those that are a threat while hovering cross-legged in the air. [A note is attached. It reads 'Gravitic Anomalies pinning you down are bad enough, but living, intelligent ones like Graviton Dragons? No thanks!']

Regardless of their nature, all True Dragons are powerful, with even the newest and youngest of them requiring either a full team of elite Hunters to take down, or a true hero of the current era to fell. While unfortunate, it is occasionally necessary to slay a rogue or irritated True Dragon that refuses to listen to reason, for their power makes them dangerous: Whole villages have been razed by even the weakest of their kind if left unchallenged. Those Dragons that still retain their Civility and commune with the rest of Civilized space agree that such measures, while tragic and unfortunate, are necessary.

One of the most fascinating parts of True Dragon biology is their inherent lack of biological sex. They lack sex organs of any kind, and thus do not reproduce in ways we are familiar with. When a True Dragon does create more of their own kind, it is through a highly ritualized process of blood letting that spills their blood into large pools in the ground, whereupon new True Dragons begin to form as koi like young. Due to the fact that there are only ever around 700 True Dragons of a given species at any one time, the creation of new Dragons is doesn't occur unless there is a need for replacements for fallen kin. On a biological level, these new Dragons are clones of their parent, though in terms of personality they are each distinct and unique in their own right. Legends tell of Dragons that had sexual features that mated with Mortals in the distant past, though this is almost certainly myth and fairy tale rather than truth, as no living True Dragon to date has shown a desire to take on a biological sex even if they take on a gender for themselves. [A note is attached. It reads 'The storeis go that Dragons that took on a biological sex could reproduce with anything, but these are just stories. I think. Maybe?']

The closest relatives to True Dragons are, in fact, the Hydras of Null. Where the True Dragons act as the embodiement of the Mystic, the Hydras ironically are embodiements of the Mundane: True Dragons are beings of magic that happen to have physical forms, while Hydras are phyiscal creatures who happen to be empowered by Magic. One of the key differences, biologically, between the two related families is eyes: True Dragons possess two eyes, same as most other creatures, while Hydras and their ilk possess no eyes, their faces guarded by armored plates without a visible ocular organ in sight. Historically, the two sides of the family tree hate one another, and move to attack the other at any interaction.

The magical powerhouses of the world, True Dragons are often aloof and a mysterious, dangerous remnant of a distant, bygone time in Null's ancient history. They are beings that are to be respected and treated with reverence even on the occassion that on must be put down for the safety of all, with those that continue to commune with us becoming great teachers of magic to those races that can perform the mystic arts of Mana manipulation. Who is to say that someday, in the future, all Dragons will snap out of whatever special malaise claims them to rejoin their youngers in a new, briliant future of Civilized living? Only time will tell. [A note is attached. It reads 'I wish I had a True Dragon housemate! Sure, they average at like 15 feet tall, but it'd be awesome!']
 
Armor and Weapons: V-7 'Devestis' Powered Armor. [Oros Variant]
[The following is a digital page from the 'Armor's and Weapons Catalog, 149th edition'.]

Designation: Version 7, Model 'Devestis' Powered Armor, Oros Variant.

[Sketches depict an advanced set of powered armor, large and bulky with heavy plating and maximum armor coverage, with the visor being little more than a pair of angular eyes attached together by a strip of visor material between them. The stock unit posseses identification markings on the pauldrons, chest, and helmet, with a shield symbol motif prominant.]

Power Source: Baraq Aleph Series Fulminite Generator. (Good for one month of continuous use before replacement or recharge.)

Undersuit: V-18/h tech suit. 10% notable increase to strength, 10% notable increase to top speed. Increased heat tolerance and durability to weaving structure. Optional runic upgrades where available.

Plating: V-4/H Dragonscale Powered Plate. Reinforced Mithril-Adamantium Alloy capable of withstanding direct strikes from non-energy coated strikes. Vulnerable to Class 9 penetrating strikes and above, with heat tolerance in the thousands of celsius range without issue. Optional runic upgrades where availble.

Additional Features: V-8 Stun-Field generator, integrated, and hard points for armor-planted weapon systems including shoulder mounted launchers and forearm rail-guns. Includes space for optional integrated V-1 energy shielding generator systems.

Summary:​
The latest in the Devestis line of heavy powered armor, the Version 7 continues the lines dedication to heavy armor protection without compromising the design heritage's highly modular nature. Even in today's modern market, the Devestis continues to be the powered armor system with the most variants to its name, whether it is Solarite Plasma Reactor Engineering models, Ultra-High Pressure Deep Sea models, Heavy Weapon Platforms or the ever reliable Damage Testing and Monitoring variant.

On the defense, the Devestis continues to be the toughest of its kind with a Mithril-Adamantium aloy plating as well as reinforced undersuit, allowing it to laugh off damage that other Power Armor would be threatened by, requiring the most powerful or esoteric of attacks to breach easily. Combined with a heat tolerance in the thousands of degrees centigrade, and the Devestis stands as an excellent platform for heavy weapons or damage tanking roles on the battlefield.

Thruster systems are a relatively recent addition to the series, coming in only in the 6th Version, but have proven an excellent addition to the system by providing the heavy armor set a much needed boost to agility.

Runes capable of being applied remains a feature in this armor set, allowing users to to augment and further amplify the suit's capabilities. Note, however, that as per the Runic Law of Age, the effects of the Runes will not be as powerful now as they will be later, though thankfully a runed V-7's modern capabilities and construction allows it to match older suits of runed armors, even pre-power armor suits.

Still the unchallenged heavy PA platform on Null, the Devestis continues to serve with distinction in armories everywhere, whether it is exploring deep pressure environments, the incinerating depths of an active reactor in need of immediate repair, or even just providing additional heavy firepower on the battlefield, the Devestis is unmatched in its defensive capabilities for mass produced, commercially availble PA systems. When you need to take a hit, or give it right back, you can always rely on a Devestis to watch you back!
 
Science News Daily: Nullian System Breakdown.
[Transcript from a 3162 AA article from Sceince News Daily on the worlds within the Nullian system.]

The home star-system of the Median and it's people, commonly known as 'The Null System' in day to day life but also known by its official name of Dominus after the main-sequence star at its heart, is home to a number of worlds and planet-sized moons that hold mystery and exciting history in their formation and make up.

At the heart of the solar system is the large main-sequence star, Dominus, so named because in early records of folk lore, it was believed to be the ruler of the heavens over the Nullian system. The most intriguing facts about Dominus include it having a higher than normal Thaumaturgical rating compared to other stars and that it is at the high end of yellow main-sequence stars in terms of size. It also holds the distinction of being the absolute farthest star from heart of the Okeanus Galaxy we orbit, being the final star still in the Galaxie's gravitational pull before entering intergalactic dark space.

Following that, the first world we encounter is Ignis. Ignis is a fascinating world, as it is as close to Dominus as possible without actively falling into its gravity well and being pulled into its depths. Furthermore, it is home to a high amount of volcanic activity, with one side of its tidally locked face bright on the night side due to active lava formations, and the other a burning desert with volcanoes rising and falling in a particularly violent dance of activity. Relatively small, early recon probes by scientific comitties have found that Ignis is a treasure trove of minerals and other resources, ranging from mundane ores to more hardier mystical elements such as adamantium or elemental crystals such as Solarite.

Following Ignis is the dead world of Hemistone. Originally only a single world, approximately a million and a half years ago, an extra-solar planetary capture in retrograde slammed into Hemistone's original singular body. The resulting impact led to the death of whatever biosphere Hemistone may have once had and has led to an aesthetically beautful yet haunting double-bodied plantoid of shattered continental plates and debris fused together and orbiting the split, fused planet at the center. Believed to have mineral deposits from both worlds still within and without the debris field, Hemistone holds the distinction of having the first unmanned probes of the Median make landing there in the 2400's, where they continue to find new and fascinating discoveries of both planet's history every decade as they continue their endless search for scientific discovery on the fused world.

At 1 AU from is the third planet from Dominus and the largest technically-habitable world in the system that is named after it, the world of Null holds the widest and most fascinating amount of biodiversity, as well as the oldest natural ecological history, of any of the world in the system. Home to billions of sapient individuals on-world, with over a million more in habitat stations surrounding the planet's orbit, Null holds the distinction of two of the most dangerous moons in the system: Yarah Mot, the Dead Moon which was poisoned by a freak and never before seen Theumaturgical event in the 2900's by an extradimensional element classified as 'Decay', and Yarah Dam, the Elder Blood Moon which is home to an entire ecosystem of Elder Things that evolved from the fallen bodies of Elder Gods slain eons ago by the Great Spirits protecting Null.

As of the writing of this article, the Moon Wars that began in the early 3150's are still raging as hold outs of the 'Moon Elders' responsible for much of the troubles in the late 3000's/early 3100's continue to be fight against Median forces.

Past the planet-system of Null, there is the fourth world of the Nullian System, Phobia. Originally a habitable world some 500,000 years ago, a Theumaturgical event of unpresedented size and unexpected violence erupted, covering the world in a planetary storm of black clouds and red lightning, with the center of the endless hurricane resembling a massive, red eye, whose frightning appearence was what gave it its name millenia ago by early astrological scholars to discover the planet. In recent centuries, unmanned drones have been sent to investigate the world, with more recent technological advancements allowing for unbroken contact despite the magical storm. What was discovered beneath the clouds is a wind-swept, but surprisingly still living environment, with plants having evolved to flow with the wind and small scale animal life living a subteranian life beneath the endless gale force winds and lightning strikes. Mountains have been eroded down from once glorious heights to large hills, and the lightning strikes result in the sands and dirt becoming pillars of glass that are, in turn, eroded and swept up by the winds.

The fifth, and largest, planet in the system is the gas giant Typhoon. So named because of its blue, ocean like coloration and its 'waves' of cloud-bands, Typhoon posses both a a surprisngly small number of moons for a Gas Giant as well as a rare, double-ring system surrounding it. The inner most ring is new and in a slow decay pattern, and will finish collapsing into Typhoon's gravity well in approximately 10k years, which will be believed to be spectacular event as the ring's larger fragments burn up in atmospheric entry. The other, outer layer ring is far enough away to be in a stabalized orbit around Typhoon, with estimations as to how long it will last being little more than guesses at this point in time.

Of its 17 moons, 4 are planet sized and are worlds in their own right. Umbra is a shadowy worked distinct for having a vast store of Umbrum ore on both the surface and in the planetary layers, which causes it to spectacularly move in and out of visible wavelengths at semi-regular intervals. Glacius is the a frozen wasteland which is believed to have a liquid ocean of water hidden beneath miles of sea-ice, with scanners indicating an active core and enough thermal vents and active lava flows in its depths to support some form of life. Arachnia, so named due to the Great Spider Spirit crashing into it tens of thousands of years ago and cracking the ground in a spider-like formation that can be seen from orbit, has a relatively thin but stable atmosphere, with geomantic arachnoid creatures making a living on the surface due to left over magic from the Great Spirit Irmra giving them life.

Concordia, however, is the most notable moon of Typhoon due to the fact that, thanks to a mixture of a thick, greenhouse enabling atmosphere and an active core, it is a lush, vibrant world of green forests, grassy hill plains, jungles, swamps, and thriving oceans. Early drone footage shows an active, insect rich ecosystem within a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere compatible with Nullian life forms, marking the world as a possible colony site once the Moon Wars end and the space around Null is secured.

In contrast to the blue, ocean like Typhoon, the gas giant Fulgeria resembles an active lightning furnace, with angry red and orange coleration along its atmospheric bands and the presence of no less than two active super-storms on opposite sides of the planet. Fulgeria is notable compared to Typhoon in that it actively possess an ecosystem of its own, with massive swarms of gas-skimming octo-jelly floaters, lightning absorbing glide-serpents, gas filtering flocks of flying manta like creatures, and large skywhales that consume the smaller creatures by the dozen. Recent sattelite-drone scans also indicate that life exists deep into the planet's lower layers, including creatures adapted for living in the hyper-pressure conditions of the massive liquid hydrogen ocean beneath the cloud layers.

Of it's over 70 moons, only three are of planetary size and structure. The tidally locked, shadowy world-moon of Nox exists on the dark side of Fulgeria and is a dead world of little else than eternal darkness, though signs of technology belonging to an ancient species of Elder known as the Stone-Eyes is thought to exist here. There is no question of this technologies presense on the world of Apex, however, where the ancient space fairing Stone-Eyes built a massive ecumenopolis across its surface, stone-tech structures still standing even after the Stone-Eyes disappeared eons ago. By comparison, the small frigid iceworld of Frigila is in an active global ice age due to an impact event some two thousand years ago resulting in a massive amount of atmospheric debris inducing the climate shift. Drone-Sattelites have only recently arrived in Frigilla's orbit and have begun the process of deep-scanning it to uncover its lost history.

Finally, the farthest world of all in the Nullian System is the world of Aurum, so named because of its golden sheen. Spectro-analysis indicate that this sheen is not, in fact, actual gold, but rather ice that has been tainted this color due to the presence of macro-colonies of bacteria that thrive on both the frozen water ice as well as the world's tectonically active surface. These golden ice-mountains shift and change frequently, relative to the geological scale, and as such rarely stay the same for more than a thousand years. Despite the truth of its composition, the Great Spirit and Queen of Loot Arara has claimed rights to the world, with plans to turn it into a 'true' golden fortress in time.

In addition to the planets and moons, the Nullian System is home to no less than three distinct asteroid belts. The first is formed in the orbital pattern of Hemistone, created around the same time as the impact of the once two distinct planets, with debris entering the same orbital pattern as their originator. This is the smallest of the asteroid belts.

The second Asteroid Belt is the Phobia/Typhoon Division Line, a massive field of asteroids and other material that formed early in the system's birth and has remained in place ever since. It is believed that his line, combined with the two gas giants, are the primary contritbuting factor to the relativel lack of asteroid impacts on the inner planets.

The third and final asteroid belt is the Fulgeria/Aurum Division Line, which is both proportionally the thinnest and most resource rich of the three inter-system asteroid belts of the Nullian system. This belt too has been claimed by Arara as part of her domain.

Finally, just beyon the Nullian system proper there is the Oort Cloud, a debris field of materials numerous light-days thick, and the closest part of the rest of the galaxy to the Nullian System. Currently, plans are in place to send mining ventures to the Oort Cloud to begin construction of massive mining and refinery stations to process and send back the materials gained there to be of use to the Median's people. Just beyond the Oort Cloud, and the closest neighbor to our home system, is the Gygas Nebula, a small nebula with a handful of stars, the closest being one dubbed Ahot, or Sister.

As the farthest star from the center of our Galaxy, Null is both the loneliest system and yet also the most distinct for its placement. It is hoped, both by the scientific community and the average living soul in the Median's care, that we will discover and become allies with other sapient races amidst the stars, joint in mutual beneficial partnership for a safe, secure future for all. Only time will tell if this will be the case.
 
Forum Post: Nullian Military Organizations Breakdown.
[The following is a transcript of a forum post made in 3155 in a Displaced military discussion forum postin a popular science-fiction discussion site, created by one 'Slugger-R-Us' to the Displaced community on site.]

Forum: Nullian-Terran Military Comparison Thread, Version 2 (First Version shut down due to routine harrassment by a now banned user identified as 'IchorSlave33' causing thread wide arguments forcing moderators to step in)

Original Post Date: Sararus 32nd, 13:45 PM Eastern Standard Time.

---

Slugger-R-Us: Alright my little antisocial anthropods, Big Brother Slugger here to give you lazy bastards that sweet, sweet info on local military organizations, which by the way any of you could have done if you weren't all lazy pricks, but don't worry. I exist, so you can continue to ferment in your own inability to search your own damn topics yourself.

Jaybird404: I thought you Oros were supposed to be all nice and stuff?

GorStain: I think it's because they're one of those Empusas.

Slugger-R-Us: First, I had an Empusa for a dad, which is where I get my 'tude, to set things straight. Second, this is me being nice. Now, do you 'Jarheads' or whatever you Displaced call yourselves want this info spoon fed to you, or are you going to get off your asses and do it yourselves, only to jank it up and wind up misinformed like what happened wtih Steve-Stein?

Steve-Stein: I said I was sorry!

Slugger-R-Us: I'm not the one you have to apologize to for getting almost everything wrong about the Order of the War Panalopy? You're lucky most of them don't hang around this place, or you'd get 'um, actually'd' to death. With lots of mean, mean words thrown in for good measure by the way.

Anti-Lope: OMG, stop stalling and just do your presentation thing already!

Slugger-R-Us: Contain the calamity that is your mammaries, I'm getting to it.

-Now then, what you need to know about us Nullians and our military organization is that there's two main kinds of military organizations: The 'Official' Median forces, and the 'Private' Orders and Guilds that work with the government in official while remaining their own distinct cultures with their own maintained traditions.

Mousepad: Question.

Slugger-R-Us: Hold your questions until after the presentation or be mocked by your peers.

Anti-Lope: FFS, shut up Mouse, I've been dying to get a full breakdown of their shit since we got here and I'm not waiting any longer!

Jaybird404: We could totally have figured it out on our own if we had more time, we've only had forum access for three months! That's not long enough to figure all this shit out!

Moderator 'Major Lupa': Everybody chillout for a few minutes and let the man speak. He's doing this as a favor for the lot of us, so just wait until he's finished.

Slugger-R-Us: So like I was saying, two different 'sects' of military orgs around these parts. We'll go through the 'Official' stuff first. Now, official, Median run and operated organizations include the Hunter's Guild (which was a Private sector until the unification of the three primary corps during the Third Draconic War a few decades ago, I'll get into that another day so shut up on questions about it), the Median Knights, and the Guardian Order.

-Now, the Hunter's Guild is one of the oldest and most vernerable continious organizations on Null. Their primary purpose is to hunt down and destroy, contain, divert, preserve, and study wild life out in the wilds of the planet. They're usually lightly armored and full of gadgets and weapons designed to sneak up to and take down a target, be it at range or in a close quarters capture mission.

-There are 3 (get used to seeing that number a lot) specializations within the Guild: Hunters are the mainline ranged and stealth experts of the Median, stalking and taking down their prey. Trackers specialize in using both training and equipment to tag and track down their prey during the hunt. Wranglers are mainly capture units, but when working with others lethally they make excellent use of their gear to tangle up and bog down the enemy.

-Summary: They're the scouts, trackers, snipers, and stealth experts of our official military forces.

--The Median Knights, meanwhile, is the 'real' military arm of the Median military. Formed at the founding of the Median in 1501AA, the Median Knights are a unified, formalized division of soldiers who fight in major tactical and strategically vital wars, be it against Dark Spirits, Spider-Ants, Mother Root, or Moon Elders among other tactically competent and organized fighting forces. They're the heavy hitters, the big guns, the 'meat' of the Median military as it were.

--While there are technically over a dozen specializations, the 3 primary ones that follow are the most common and widespread of them all, useful in any and every tactical situation compared to the more specialized formations. Knights are the mainline infantry of the Median, using mission specific gear and armor subweapons and equipment in a generalist role that makes them good in almost any scenario. Heavies make use of heavy armor and heavy weapons, up to and including back mounted launcher systems, to provide heavy fire support. Tacticians are a support role who use a wide array of sensors and equipment to provide highly accurate targeting data to their allies as well as call in fire support from afar.

--Summary: They are the shooty-shooty bang bang infantry of the Median Military. Like some of you guys were back home, but not Displaced!

---The Guardian Order has existed for thousands of years, acting as a medical and healing organization in all that time. During the Third-Kingdom War that led to the founding of the Median, however, the Guardian Order took up arms and joined the proto-Median alliance against their Third-Kingdom enemies, taking on the roles of medics and support troops, wtih advances in technology we take for granted today allowing them to accomplish such tasks with incredible precision and capability.

---The three specializations of the Order include the following: Guardians are heavily armored defensive units meant to provide support by aggroing the enemy to keep fire off other, less armored units, using gear to siphon power from enemy forces or disrupt their abilities. Aegian use their equipment to augment their allies via activating highly advanced energy shields, both as static barriers as well as amplifying existing shields or adding new ones to shieldless enemies. Apothecaries make use of both healing equipment on their persons or via drones to provide healing, buffs, and debuffs as necessary.

---Summary: They are our White Mages. Do not. Fuck. With. The White Mages. Yes, I stole that from one of your people's media streams, no I'm not apologizing.

Mousepad: Sick!

WarNotLuv: Wait, where do those jetpack guys I heard about come into all of this? Storm-Leapers I think they're called? Or those Sand Shark desert guys?

Slugger-R-Us: I said to hold off questions until the end, but I'll actually answer that since it's relevant: Storm-Leapers, Sand Sharks, Raiders, and all the rest are the other dozen+ specializations I mentioned exist in the Median Knights, which I will not be going into because each one has enough history and purpose for deployment that even I don't want to spend so much time on for right now. I'll get to those guys on another day, but I'll say this much for now: They are all the signature, trademark units of their respective Nationalities, each with a storied history and origin. Like I said: Their stuff will come another day.

Anti-Lope: Cool! Okay, so those were the 'official' stuff, what about the Private stuff?

Slugger-R-Us: Settle down, my agitated antelope of questionable parentage, I'm getting to that. Hold on to your ears, this one's going to be the speed round because each one is worth their own dedicated breakdown another day too:

-The Order of the War Panalopy is an all female Order of Dames (As in female knights, you fucking sub-amoebas) borne from the remnants of the ancient days of Oros Warrior-Queens, being a knightly order dedicated to perfecting the art of warfare and proving their superiority over their enemies by wearing elaborate, and deadly, styalized armors that increase in complexity and ornateness as they climb up in rank and status, directly correlating to age and how long they've been perfecting their art. They begin as Combat Maidens equipped with Combat Skirts, before becoming Battle Matrons adorned in Battle Dresses, before finally achieving the rank of War Matriarchs in War Gowns at the top of order. They are, without exaggeration, some of the deadliest Mortals alive on Null, bar none.

-The Order of the War Forge is an all male Order of Knights borne as the direct male counterpart of the Order of the War Panalopy. Rather than being combatants, though not to downplay their combat capabilities, the War Forge act as the support staff and smiths for the War Panlopy: The boys create the toys while the girls perfect the art of killing things dead with said toys. Traditionally, each Dame in the War Panalopy is paired with counterpart of the War Forge, who acts as their personal smith for the rest of their careers. While romantic relationships between them have occured, most of these relationships are platonic in nature at most and strong bonds of friendship form between the assigned pairs. Smith Sons become Forge Fathers after proving their worth and joining their respective Combat Maiden in her own promotion, before ascending to the title of Adamantine Patriarchs after they and their respective counterpart prove themselves further after centuries of combat and arming for combat.

-The Magi Order is ancient and mysterious, with much of their inner secrets unknown to the common folk. What is known is that, using Aetherworks, Magi are magic users of the Aether, able to be of any species though on Null, though due to sheer numbers and statistical probability they're primarily Oros. They provide support or kill teams against Elderitch forces, and they lack dedicated roles and more are hyper competent generalists in all regards, getting more powerful and more deadly the older and more experienced they get. IE, they're Space Wizards that are shooty-looty-and-goodie-patootie. No, I'm not apologizing for that joke. I refuse to.

-The Order of the Berserker Paladin is an anti-infernal order of holy knights directly tied to the Ambaric Church, though they technically predate the Ambaric religion by a long ass time. The Berserker Paladins have a number of different classes but this is only relevant amongst their own kind and their missions. To outsiders looking in, other than different colorations on their cloth or different armor configs, Paladins are similar to Magi in that they're sent in as support or as kill teams against their specific enemy.

-Not technically any kind of official military org, be it Private or government, the Militia is the general term for most of the capable adult populace of Null that isn't a direct member of any of these organizations. This is more of a default, before the Great Walled Cities came about, as in order to survive on Null you had to be both a good fighter and a good teammate. I'm speaking from experience here and without any humor: If you made it to adulthood you were, by default, considered part of the 'Militia' by simple fact that you lived to become an adult. I'm not going to go any further in depth at what life was like back then, it fucking sucked and you lucky fucks have no idea how good you have it to have arrived in the time of the Great Walled Cities. This isn't to say your arrival didn't suck: I'm legitimately sorry for any injuries or lost friends and family you might have had on arrival before the Median got to you, but if you hadn't shown up in this current age of the Great Walled Cities, 'a portion' of you Displaced being dead would have been 'all'.

So yeah, that's the basics of our various military organizations. I'll be taking questions now, but before anything else: Yes, I do know what 'Magical Girls' are thanks to you bastards, and yes, I can see the similarities between them and the War Panalopy, especially with the colorful armor and styling fight moves. No, I'm not going to acknowledge that they are 'magical girls', because that means some of you will win, and I refuse to allow that to happen. So yeah, gimmie your questions.

[The rest of the threat continues for hundreds of pages after ward, 15 percent of which were answering questions from the breakdown previously given.]
 
Last edited:
War Dragons.
War Dragons.

[Sketches depict a race of dragons, their coloration and details varying from subspecies to subspecies, their default appearence being a typical four legged gait with wings on their backs and long tails to balance bodies, their horned heads held upright and with pride. Tellingly, there appear to be multiple forms and subtypes of these Dragons, the sketches depicting what appear to be transformations between a more bipedal, anthropomorphic stance and a larger, bulkier version of their default quadropedal gait. One subtype is massive and broad chested, with what appears to be sap like secretions from between their chest plates that, when falling in drops, produce explosive results.]

[A note is attached. It reads 'I'm so glad we were able to make peace with these guys, they're some of the chillest friends I've made in my life!']

Scientific Name Translation: Eternal Soldier.

Average Size: Varies on form.

Average Weight: Varies on form.

Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Females are slightly, but noticably, slimmer and more curved than the more angular males.

Habitat Range: Primarily on the floating continent of Skyhold, though some have started to live among Median cities.

Summary:​

It is said that, of the Civilized Races of Null, the oldest is the True Dragons. Indeed, countless ruins, ancient decrepit cities, and hollowed artifacts from this bygone era remain, even after the True Dragons fall from grace and their current diminshed state of being. It is from these ancient ruins, many millions of years old yet intact through generous applications of reinforcement magics and clever placement on stable geographical locals, we have learned much of what the world was like in their era. It is through these texts where we discovered the origins of one notable race of draconic beings, the sapient War Dragons.

The War Dragons are a remnant of this bygone era, when the True Dragons civilization was the dominant force in the Mortal realm of Null. Artificial creations, War Dragons were crafted by the numerically more limited True Dragons to act as soldiers for their civilization, in an era where the Mortal realm was assailed by Elder horrors. The end product of many, many failed attempts that would lead to the other draconic species of Arisa, such as the Crash Drakes, the Slips, the Shinook and the Shanooks, War Dragons were the culmination of centuries of research and development between the native True Dragons and the mysterious but benevolent (though now long gone) Elder species known today as the Stone-Eyes. According to both remaining ancient documents and accounts by the still living War Dragons in the modern day, the fighting in these ancient conflicts was intense and brutal, a world wide conflict the likes of which has never been seen since. [A note is attached. It reads, 'During the time of the release of 8th edition, this was true. Now? The Moon War that's still going on is easily the most massive conflict in all of Nullian history, though aside from a few incursions, proxy wars and battles, the official Moon War has taken place entirely in our lunar orbit.']

After the end of these ancient conflicts ended with the securing of Null from these hostile incursions, the remaining War Dragons were then placed by their creators into stasis within the floating continent of Skyhold, held aloft by massive reserves of Floatstone ores throughout the entire island-continent that both kept it safely aloft as well as masked their life signatures in their stasis cocoons. It would be in stasis where the War Dragons would remain for millions of years, awaiting for another time where their masters called upon them to serve once more, a time which would never come as during the intervening years, the True Dragon civilization would collapse and their peoples would result in the loss of the original command and control systems and structure which the War Dragons used as their military hierarchy.

After millions of years, the mystical systems overseeing the stasis cocoons would begin to fade and fail, ultimately resulting in the unplanned release of the War Dragon hordes some time around the 2800's AA. Awakened and now lacking the central authority they once relied upon, now functionally free of any outside influence, the War Dragons began to adapt and fell back on their training and instincts to make up for such a potent loss of reliable command. As a result of falling back on these primal instincts, the War Dragons came to the only course of action that made sense for the veterans of the old wars at the time: Conquest and raiding. Unfortunately, the only cultures availble for such attacks would be the Median and its peoples, and as such in the winter of 2888, the First Draconic War began with the War Dragons invading from the East, assaulting the coastlines and other major civilized hubs in the Median at the time. Though initially making excellent progress, both due to natural power as well as experience from their ancient conflicts, the War Dragons would ultimately be stopped and pushed back once the Median managed to find its footing and respond to the raids. [A note is attached. It reads 'I actually keenly remember my old home town seeing the raids arrive at our doorstep, only to be turned away at the last minute by Sky Fleet and Stormleaper detachments. It was scary, but also oddly beautiful in a twisted, janked up way seeing the walls of fire rising up in the distance.']

Leaving to lick their wounds and replenish their lost numbers, the Second Draconic War would occur in 2990, with the Dragon's attempted raids having been predicted and prepared for, resulting in a horrific failure that led to a full withdraw by the War Dragons back to their home to once again heal their wounds. Their culture and society would begin development in earnest around this time, as several generations of War Dragons who had never known of the ancient times were borne and raised in this new era. Survivors of the initial two Draconic Wars began to have doubts of the old ways being of any value in this new era, with many arguements being held in their burgeoning council chambers of their new-born government discussing pursueing peace with the Median and its peoples.

Ultimately, the Third and final Draconic War would occur in 3042 AA, as a result of the Median instigating an invasion towards Skyhold in order to cease the War Dragon invasions once and for all. Many theorize what would have occured if the invasion had completed as intended, with some believing that our Median would have forced the War Dragons to accept an unconditional surrender using warship diplomacy, while a few whisper that complete destruction was the aim. While I personally dismiss the latter arugments, I also cannot deny that the former would have been achieved through extensive and brutal warfighting deep into the War Dragon's homelands to force peace by gunpoint. However, these theories are for things that we will never know for sure, as before the invasion force could begin striking deep into the War Dragon warrens and homes dug beneath the surface of Skyhold, they were recalled due to the awakening and development of a new, infinitly worse threat in the west.

Peace between the Median and the War Dragons would occur as a completely unexpected development, and as a direct result of War Dragon scouts being sent to investigate and observe the sudden withdrawl of the Median warfleet to the West. These scouts would discover the new war front that had opened up between the Median and an unexpectedly and massively overwhelming infestation of Elderitch plant creatures known as the Dream Lotus, AKA the Mother Roots. These scouts would become unexpected allied to the Median when one of their own was captured by the Mother Roots to be podded and used as one of their many 'brains', with them fighting alongside the same Median soldiers that had not so long ago been invading their homelands against this common threat breaking the ice for peace between the two polities going forward. [A note is attached. It depicts a sketch of a strange creature made of roots and bark, several glowing 'eyes' on its head structure as it pointed a blade like arm towards the viewer. Words follow, reading 'Dream Lotus creature, 'Daisy Cutter'.']

The War Dragons, though still recovering from the invasion, would send several deployments of their own forces to support the Median war-effort out of a sense of foresight that, if the Mother Root won against the Median, it would not be long before it would turn its gaze towards the Dragons themselves. This mutually beneficial alliance cemented the end of Median-War Dragon hostilities and, while personal relations between the two polities would remain cool at best due to earlier conflicts, no further widespread violence between the two parties have been reported since.

In terms of biology, the War Dragons are highly fascinating. Artificially created to be the perfect soldiers in their era, adult War Dragons are physically and mystically quite powerful for creatures relying on only natural weaponry. Able to switch between three different forms, their Base draconic form which is a balance between the mystically power but physically weaker, smaller and bipedal Mage form and their larger, physically more powerful War form, War Dragons are trained from youth to be excellent fighters in all three forms, though they are each their own individuals with their own talents and personal preferences that makes them better suited between their three forms in combat.

Armed with claws, a tail club, horns, teeth, and durable scales, flesh and bones, War Dragons are durable and dangerous in close combat in all of their forms, with their mystical powers allowing for spell casting of varying levels of power between their Base and Mage forms. Regardless of form, elemental breath attacks are common ranged weapons across their various sub-types, giving them the ability to strike from afar using either 'blasts' of elemental power, or more medium-close range 'beams' to cut into armored foes.

While there are 7 subspecies of True Dragon, War Dragons are divided between 5 'categories': Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, and Toxin, each of whom works together with the others in a given warfront to maximize their power and ability in pack tactics. Of these, fire is the most common while Toxin is the least common, each distinguished by their own 'categories' coloration and distinct attritbutes such as the blue coloration and fish-fin like traits on the water War Dragons.

In addition to their categories and forms, there are three distinct 'classes' of War Dragons, biological castes designed for a specific battlefield role and purpose in combat. Scouts are the leanest and smallest, and make use of stealth magics and camoflage abilities to gather information and spy on enemy formations from relatively close proximety while remaining undetected, using extreme speed to move between locations and to report back to their superiors quickly. Soldiers are the generalists and the most common 'class' of War Dragon, being the, well, soldiers of the War Dragon military structure. Demolitions, or Demos for short, are the heavy firepower class of the War Dragons, being physically larger and burlier, with more firepower in their breaths and combat magics, with their biggest claim to fame being their ability to create and drop 'droplets' from their segmented chest regions that, upon landing on the ground, detonate with extreme force when deployed in their massive 50 meter long War Forms. [A note is attached. It reads 'Before we learned their proper designations, their callsigns in order were 'Slip', 'Jockey', and 'Bombard'.']

For all their power and transformative ability, War Dragons have a few notable limitations. To prevent accidentaly crushing themselves if located in a durable environment, they cannot switch to a larger form if there is not enough space for that transformation to take place, which leads to the common fear of them demolishing buildings by transforming within them unfounded. They also cannot transform due to limitations of proximity with other, non-War Dragon life, a security measure to prevent them accidentally injuring their True Dragon creators in ancient times which has the added benefit of leaving them unable to cause problems on crowded streets or when too near indivduals by transforming into a deadlier form.

A final note on their biology is the fact that, despite being crafted by the True Dragons as a warrior race, War Dragons actually do possess biological sexes and the ability to replenish their numbers through conventional reproductive methods. Courtship between War Dragons is still being understood, but the basics functionally amount to two dragons of peer rank, often those who have fought side by side the longest, claiming one another as their respective mate, reproducing from the safety of 'home base', with their young being born live in litters of anywhere from 3-8 wyrmlings per gestation period of approximately 7 months. These newborn dragons, while armed and able to survive on their own biologically speaking, have to be taught and raised, usually by community though parents taking personal oversight of their children's developments are becoming more and more common, to properly become a member of their community and civilization, becoming sexually mature at around 20 years of age. Despite how ancient they are, it has been found that the War Dragons adaptibility allows them in their anthropoidal Mage forms to be able to safely and successfully engage in reproductive behaviors with other Civilized Races, producing viable offspring of the mother's respective species. [A note is attached. It depicts a cartoon baby dragon, a small, chubby creature, sitting on its bottom as it stared cross-eyed at a butterfly on its nose, its tongue sticking out as it focuses on the insect.]

The War Dragons developing culture is still in its infancy, with much of their civilian life taking aspects of culture and society in an imitative manner from the Median they were at war with not so long ago. Many younger generations of War Dragons have even begun to develop a youth counterculture focusing on imitating Median societal norms such as wearing clothing, or pursing non-war related hobbies such as collecting trinkets or adopting pets. [A note is attached. It reads 'Apparantly, 'Your Tiny Dracoequines' is very popular, especially the spin-off, 'Your Tiny Dracoequines: Skirmish Maul 5000'. I always prefered the Axe-Scythe 4k Series it's a parody of, but according to my War Dragon pen-pal Juniper Hailmaker, its combat rules are actually very in depth and well thoughout out!']

Despite our earliest encounters leaving a bad impression, it cannot be stressed enough that the War Dragons are still a young, developing culture, trying to find meaning for themselves when their original purpose has become lost to them. While this doesn't necessarily absolve the bloodshed on either side's hands, it is something to consider going forward as a hand of friendship and assistance in helping them find a place for themselves in this new world they find themselves in is extended to our draconic brothers and sisters.
 
Back
Top Bottom