Difference between revisions of "Triendas"

Latest revision as of 14:06, 3 May 2015

This is the story-based description of Triendas. For the official rules on Triendas characters, go here

The Triendas are a race of psionically sensitive humanoids who closely resemble humans. They are distinguished by their proclivity for artistic expression and passion for freedom. Though they are not the only civilization in the Trienda system, they are the only one sufficiently developed to adapt properly to interstellar travel, so this is how they are referred to in other parts of the galaxy. The Trienda civilization is very distant from Earth; members of their race have only just begun to discover it.

They almost always have at least a mortal-grade psionic power. Those who do not are considered physically disabled by their culture, and generally have trouble speaking clearly.

Physiology

Triendas appear mostly Human. There are many subtle clues, however, that can give away a member of their race, if they are watched for. While their skin appears normal and has a normal range of hues and shades, Trienda skin tends to partially crystallize when they are excited, embarassed, or when they have their equivalent of goosebumps, which briefly adds a fine, fragile gloss to the surface. The gloss can be scratched away fairly easily without harm, but this is generally avoided, as it tends to leave strange blotches where the crystallization was removed when they have flare ups, later, and it grows back with time. Both Humans and Triendas have hair colors that real Humans could not achieve without elaborate hair styling, but Triendas sometimes have richer or more luminescent color than Humans of similar hair color would. Triendas who command spiritual power find that their hair glows when they harness their ki. Finally, Trienda vocal organs are evolved from resonating crystal structures rather than vibrating tissue, so they frequently have a very distinct, melodic fashion of speaking. Their casual speech naturally falls onto musical notes. While it is possible for them to assume a more common method of speaking, it takes a great deal of practice, and can be hard on their vocal organs. Trienda singers, however, are some of the best in the galaxy, as they are more given to truer tones, and are capable of much louder song than a Human or equivalent singer would be.

Triendas are also almost universally psionically gifted, though their mental powers are no greater than any mortal's physical ability. The accompanying preternatural senses are important to survival on their homeworld, as navigating the gravitic currents between plateaus can prove extremely dangerous if you can't sense through rock and crystal to where you are going, and where the torrents lead. Unlike most psions, however, Triendans do not naturally develop telepathy. While they are not incapable of it, their psionic cores are better engineered toward matter manipulation. Instead, they are adept at creating sound, either formed through their mouths and throats, or bare in the air itself, or channeled through crystals they are nearby. A Trienda who is taught telepathy will generally take much easier to expressing colors, sounds, and pictures into another's mind, rather than words and voices.

There are other minute differences in their physiology, but they are generally only noticed by medical professionals, who must adjust treatment accordingly. For instance, their blood content tends to have a much richer content of calcium and other minerals, and they are capable of digesting certain kinds of rocks and small gems.

Civilization

The Trienda homeworld, Trienda Prime, is a very large planetoid with relatively low mass and irregular gravity, in orbit of one of the binary system's stars. It was formed when a heavily crystallized ball of iron-rich matter collided with a magnetic comet. The result was an extraordinarily complex and beautiful, crystal-laden landscape. The geography from space somewhat resembles a crumpled ball of aluminum foil, with valleys that descend dozens of miles into the surface before devolving into a series of glistening tunnels and caverns. All but the very center of the planetoid is porous, and the remainder of the planet are broken-up valleys and ridges with huge projections of quartz and geodes, with a healthy carpeting of fauna and flora that adapted over the eons to the planet's peculiar circumstances. Triendas themselves evolved from a now extinct predator that consumed small gems to aid in the digestion of its often hard-carcassed prey.

The planet's complex geology is resonant with psionic energy. As the Triendas emerged as a society, they learned how to network through the crust's built-in equivalent of the Internet long before the electron was ever harnessed. They developed independent villages, as borders became mostly irrelevant when crossing the planet was a simple matter of jumping off the right cliff. They created a harmony that many other civilizations in the galaxy long for, where decisions were made swiftly by the people and action was taken by all where it was needed, but a high standard of independence was maintained. Such individuality had its downsides, however, as there was no direction or goal, no pride in the identity of their people. Their technology developed at a snails pace, as their focus was instead drawn to entertainment and art. It was only by luck that the Rishani Star Federation discovered them, and incorporated their planet into their association, citing their profound cultural worth over their lack of technology.

Despite their laxity toward scientific development, Triendas took to the technology of others like fish to water, creating a myriad of new uses for otherwise forsaken technology and bringing the warmth and expression of art and music back to a part of the galaxy that had grown numb through the cold, dispassionate gaze of science. Nearly half of Trienda Prime's population departed over the first 100 years of their incorporation, and spread into the stars, many of them permanently. They were natural explorers, always seeking to discover new sights and experience new sensations. They went places that others in the Federation considered too dangerous, or too difficult to reach, spreading their unique personalities, life views, and of course, their art with all they encountered.

Now, the first members of their people have discovered Earth.

Society

Trienda society is only loosely linked together, shaped by villages and settlements spread throughout the planet, from the surface down to the core. Psionic linking through Paragon -- the almost completely natural, crystal-conducted, planetary network that joins every Trienda colony together -- keeps every member of their race on the planet up to date, assists in planetary aid and trade, and coordinates group efforts, not to mention being the single most concentrated location in the galaxy for their art. This structure of civilization allows them remarkable independence; so long as they do not harm other Triendas, most are free to practice their own morals and beliefs as they see fit. This results in highly individualistic (and sometimes very silly and unfounded) beliefs and customs. Triendas also carry this style of life into space, refusing to allow the organized religions and laws of others to dictate how they believe and live.

Despite this, however, many planetary Triendas have discovered a common belief system, which they call the "Journey". Rather than worshipping one or more deities, Triendas revere the life experience, regarding the entire series of events each Trienda encounters as a deep, living mystery. Such people believe that a failure to follow the subtle desires, feelings and inspirations that seed in their minds is a rejection of the Journey, denying oneself the full majesty that the Journey has in store. This philosophy encourages believers to act as their hearts lead them, as the Journey leads them with a symphony only that approach can comprehend. Thus, things such as marriage, interpersonal conduct, and perceptions of afterlife vary from one person to the next. One does not need to be a Trienda to subscribe to this belief, but it is an ideology that is highly conducive in their race.

Triendas are otherwise very accepting, though they are as prone to reason as they are to emotion. They do not particularly value knowledge, and many Triendas view those who dedicate themselves to seeking truth as missing the point of the Journey. Thus, they are easily offended when people become invasively curious or questioning about their lifestyles. They are not predisposed to judge others, with the exception of those who bring pain and suffering to others. In this case, they are quick to stop the offender, and seek to reform them, when possible. When Triendas are forced to kill, they do so out of necessity for the safety of others, rather than a sense of justice. They prefer to reform, rather than punish, and use death only when it is hesitantly agreed that rehabilitation is impossible or impractical. They also show disdain for prisons and incarceration, instead preferring to strand them from society as much as possible (on other, vacant planets, once the Rishani found them), in hopes that they will find a new way in their isolation, or perish for lack of a better way.

Scindogenesis Syndrome

A rare condition called Scindogenesis Syndrome afflicts certain newborn Trienda children, especially amongst those born to deep-level settlements located near large, bifurcating crystal structures. Children born with the syndrome eventually suddenly split into multiple individual persons, each with its own fully functioning body, mind and spirit. Due to the lack of thorough scientific study tolerated on the homeworld, little is known about what causes the syndrome. The syndrome is a cause for death in some deep-level mothers, when the unborn children split, massively damaging the womb and surrounding organs. Triendas who survive birth with the syndrome usually go on to lead full lives, with some peculiarities.

The split children often represent strengths in opposing facets of mentality. For instance, in a split pair, one might be talented with prose, while the other is better at art. In another case, one might be outgoing and social, but not particularly bright, where the other is quiet and introverted, but extremely intelligent. Their orientations and habits seem to vary wildly from one set of twins to another. In a few cases, especially where scindogenesic Triendas become power wielders, they learn to rejoin, either permanently or temporarily (more commonly the latter), back into the original person they would have been, if they had grown up as a single person instead. These situations, coupled with the already loose and individualized Trienda beliefs about coupling and marriage often lead to strange living situations. Each twin may take a mate, or they may share a single mate, even if they are of different genders. One scindogenesic set was recorded as having entirely different mates dependent on whether they were fused.

Split children always have a powerful bond to one another, even if they never fuse, and often live together even when they form separate families. They protect and care for one another as they would protect and care for themselves, and are as comfortable with one another in all things as they would be with their own body and mind. Though they think independently, they always understand one another's thoughts and feelings, perhaps due to some subliminal psionic link.

It is almost unheard of for Scindogenesis Syndrome to create a set of three or more children. In both of the recorded instances of this happening, one of the triplets was created faulty and experienced severe mental handicaps. In neither case were the set able to fuse into a single person again, or even for two of the three to fuse into one. Less rare is the circumstance of a mother giving birth to twins or triplets normally, and then one or more of them become scindogenesic sets.

Characters

The following characters in AltDBZ are Triendas:

• Sarah Galirean
• Saria Galirean

Permission

The Trienda race concept is owned by Icebreed and Curt. If you wish to create a character belonging to this race, please consult them for concept approval first.