Friday, December 24, 2010

[LPJ Design] Races of NeoExodus: Cynean Preview

Crystalline scholars of all things arcane, the cyneans are as mighty in mind as in body.  While the psionically-inclined might expect the cyneans to share their tendencies, these beings of living crystal are masters of magic, not mentalism.  On Exodus, which is both their home and their only known haunt, they can ever be found seeking some mystical secret or long-lost spell.

Personality:  The iconic cynean is as stoic and sedate as the rock crystal he so resembles.  As a rule, these creatures are honorable and thoughtful.  They are as slow to trust as to anger, though members of other races have come to trust in them.  A cynean’s only passion is magic - and in this alone, he can be as fervent as the most fanatical human ideologue.  Cyneans are often misunderstood by other races, who read either dullness or tranquility into their slow, deliberate way of thinking and their quiet nature.  In fact, most cyneans are constantly thinking, their crystalline minds leaping from one thought to the next at great speed; they simply prefer not to articulate their thoughts and feelings until they’ve finished mulling them over internally.

Physical Description: Cyneans are orc-sized blocks of roughly humanoid crystal.  A cynean is nearly as wide as tall, and many who do not know of this race mistakenly believe them a species of indomitable warriors.  Despite the oddities of his appearance, a cynean is actually a living creature, not a construct or an elemental.  In youth, a cynean’s body, which may be any color from rose quartz to jade, is light and almost entirely transparent.  As the creature ages, his crystalline skin darkens and becomes more opaque; an ancient cynean may be black as night and entirely solid to the eye.

Relations: Cyneans receive the respect - and occasionally fear - of the other races of Exodus.  Known for their immense magical abilities, they are often sought out by spellcasters, particularly wizards, hoping to expand their mystical knowledge.  Cyneans respect casters of all races; those who lack magical abilities, they treat with a kind of polite pity, as a human might a pauper or a cripple.  Because cyneans speak slowly and think things through thoroughly, they can grate on the nerves of those who prefer to think on their feet.

Alignment: Cyneans often appear lawful to outsiders because the passions that rule them are quite alien, but in their own way they are creatures of instinct and obsession.  Most cyneans are split evenly between chaos, neutrality and good.  Few cyneans are lawful and fewer still are evil.

Cynean Lands: Cynean originated in Gavea but the majority of them have migrated to Koryth and the rest to the other highly populated areas of Abaddon, Cordel, Nas and Sametia in Exodus.  Some of the braver cyneans have even set up small outposts on the lands of Unthara.

Religion: Cyneans believe their arcane studies have unearthed underlying principles agreed upon by most of the major religions of Exodus, and it is to these core principles they address their devotion.  Cyneans believe in “life energy” permeating the planet and hope to see it increased; powers that destroy this “life energy,” such as undeath, are anathema to them.

Language: Cyneans speak their own language, a slow but methodical and highly detailed tongue, and common.

Names: Cyneans use different names for different purposes.  A cynean has a version of his family name, which is usually taken from an honored forefather; this is his name as far as outsiders are concerned.  He also has a personal name, often a diminutive of his family name, which he uses only with the closest friends and relatives.
Male Names: Axo-Sal, Dema-Ma, Gals-Pa, Has-Ona, Kas-Bi, Xan-Ti, Yav-Ma.
Female Names: Boasx, Iska, Joia, Kaxis, Maqia, Qan.

Adventures: A cynean adventures to acquire the magical knowledge so craved by his race.  Many cyneans live a life others would describe as adventurous; to a cynean, battling eldritch horrors, unearthing unimaginable secrets and wrestling with the fundamental forces of the universe is simply ‘field research.’

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