Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lyinginbedmon 12-31-06, 08:03 PM	No, not the genies, the humanoids from the planet Jannah. I've spent a lot of time recently working out the details on this new species I plan to use in my campaign setting in the near future. History - At the time of their destruction, the Janni were a Type II civilisation according to the Kardashev Scale. They had used the technology of the Sovices to construct Dyson Spheres encompassing 4 nearby stars, hence their classification, and were using artificial intelligence in virtually all parts of their daily life. Since much of these AI were based on Angstrom's original creations, this would prove to be a major disadvantage given their reluctance to go against anything their mother spawned. Much of Janni technology was extremely powerful but highly simplistic. Their ships were composed of a single primary hull design that was then added on to with smaller components to create the full design; the hull composed the majority of systems itself and provided extreme protection against stellar phenomenon via a deep physical barrier. To give an Earth-based comparison, most of their ships would resemble Baleen Whales. Rings, dots and stripes, as hinted at in their physiology, also were commonplace in their technological designs. Their planet, Jannah, was formed from a single mass (Unlike Earth, which was formed from a proto-Earth and a second body, Thea, which also composes the Moon), and spent roughly 40 billion years in development before the Janni species first appeared. The integration of reptilian cold-bloodedness and mammalian warm-bloodedness, would lead one to conclude that Jannah was at some point a turbulent place of rapid climate change, and this would be correct. The Janni survived primarily in the equator of Jannah, where the climate maintained a somewhat equal temperature compared to the rest of the planet, but still enjoyed extended periods of hot and cold weather. As such, the Janni progenitor species (Think a mix between Woolly Mammoth, primate, and Ichthyosaur) adapted by growing dense fur during the cold periods and rapidly thinning their skins during the warm periods. This produced their quasi state of repto-mammalian physiology, and led to them becoming the dominant species on Jannah. Historically, the Janni were a peaceable folk, as their strong reptilian lineage and primate heritage meant that their familial bonds were virtually indestructible, and as such their inter-personal relationships were strong and rarely led to bloodshed and violence. A challenge against their survival as a species would usually be the only thing that would ever end in so much as a raised voice. Therefore, they were especially terrified when they realised the threat of the Sovices. They had in their history 1 single war, a time they call "The Dark Space", where a group of Janni were split off from the general population for 52 years and when re-introduced into society found living incredibly difficult compared to their harsh near-survival in the turbulent areas of the planet. As a result, they drew strength in political circles and eventually sparked a civil war against those that thought the Janni had become too compliant and those that thought they had advanced beyond nature's domination of their lives. Eventually, the war ended through attrition of anti-technology supporters, the lessons of their adversaries were never forgotten by the victors, however. Physiology and Biology - As a species, the Janni are little different from Humans. They are bipedal and have fair skin, with a stronger trend towards blonde hair and blue eyes than other colours. The biggest distinction between the two species would certainly have to be the racial markings on the backs of Janni, spots and stripes mostly which often give rise to a form of genetic artistry. A second distinction is the rings that appear on the ankles (And in the foreskin of males), which grow an additional constituent each year, like a tree. Whilst technically mammalian, the Janni actually developed from a cross-species of reptile and mammal, similar to the first bird-like creatures on Earth (Which were originally reptilian and gradually became mammalian through evolutionary steps, the Janni would appear somewhere in the middle of this kind of evolution). Because of this same hybrid heritage, Janni also lay eggs, but copulate like typical mammals. In links with their mammalian heritage, the infant within the egg is fully self-aware and many Janni parents subsequently practise pre-hatching learning methods to enhance their child’s education (Birthdays are celebrated based on the date the infant hatches). As is implied in this process, Janni, like humans, exhibit gender dimorphism and females do indeed have mammary glands (As mammals do). Like reptiles, the phallus-like sexual organ of Janni males is two-pronged. Both prongs must be inserted into the female birth canal during copulation for fertilisation, though other species simply enjoy the company of a male who effectively has two phalluses. However, these dual prongs do not appear outside of copulation without deliberate peeling of the foreskin, which covers both prongs (Hemipenes). However, whilst Janni are both male and female individually, it is possible for members to reproduce asexually after prolonged periods alone in areas with a small Janni population. This usually manifests in females as a bright red phallus gradually forming within the womb, and males will form a large blue-purple sack-like layer around the phallus, which serves as a womb. Whilst this allows Janni to reproduce asexually, ejaculation is still required for the genetic material to blend, and this usually takes the form of abnormally pleasurable masturbation (Some subjects have described it as feeling the orgasm of both partners). This process developed during their evolution as a way for the Janni to evade extinction after a large number of deaths occurred in an area. Contrary to popular belief, this ability does not allow a Janni to voluntarily change gender through prolonged periods of isolation. Janni +2 Intelligence Medium: As Medium creatures, Janni have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size Janni base land speed is 30 feet Climate Versatility (Ex): Janni are constantly under the effect of an endure elements spell. This protection does not extend to their equipment. 1 extra feat at 1st level 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level Automatic Languages: Jannic. Bonus Languages: None Favoured Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass Janni takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.Jannic was the native tongue of the Janni, and is used as the primary default language for communicating with other organisms by the Sovices (Though they thankfully pick up languages quickly, so it sees little use beyond muttered insults or annoyances by their proxies). The sentence structure of Jannic is virtually identical to that of Common with a few exceptions (For example, "Pass the salt please" would be rendered closer to "Please salt the pass", as this is the case for requests. The formal goes first ("Please"), followed by the object ("salt"), definer ("the") and the action ("pass"), resulting in "Jann keltu'un ken parl"). Jannic is written in a unique way that makes it difficult for non-native speakers to easily translate. Each word is defined as a generally polygonal shape composed of intricately drawn patterned lines, with each word being a unique sigil with only vague references to similar words. For example, a non-native speaker might have trouble differentiating "legacy" from "leg", or "popular" from "pop tart". The words themselves are usually a harsh dialect. To introduce oneself, the phrase is often "Mul tek <Name>", meaning, "I am <Name>". "Sur" means "Of", and it is not unusual for a Sovice proxy to introduce themselves as "Kril, mul tek <Name> sur Jannah", meaning "Hello, I am <Name> of Jannah". The pronunciation of words is simple and to the point, but writing down each word can take as long as 5 minutes for each sigil even by the most fluent of non-native speakers. The alphabet used in the Jannic language is similar in form and function to that of Germanic English, but instead of the typical runic symbols of most languages, Jannic is broken down into pairings of regular polygons and easily formed geometric shapes. Every 2 letters is the same shape, and the alphabet has the standard 26 characters. However, whilst 2 letters may share the same shape, the internal patterning is what makes each letter unique. The sole standard portion of a symbol is a pair of joining lines on both sides, similar to an equals (=) sign, which join up each symbol when writing a word, resulting in a unique line of adjoined pictures depicting a single word. Spaces when writing a sentence in Jannic are identical to those in English, a simple thin blank. Jannic symbols also have the unique property of being able to be written in both 2-dimensional (As virtually every language in existence is), and 3-dimensional, as each symbol being a polygon or regular shape can be converted into a 3D shape. Aa and Bb are Regular Digons (Called Eltins/Altins and Elttel/Alttel) Cc and Dd are Equilateral Triangles (Called Eltfri'ik/Altfri'ik and Eltsek/Altsek) Ee and Ff are Squares (Called Eltnox/Altnox and Eltcrix/Altcrix) Gg and Hh are Regular Pentagons (Called Eltpa'ok/Altpa'ok and Eltesac/Altesac) Ii and Jj are Regular Hexagons (Called Eltsum/Altsum and Eltinssec/Altinssec) Kk and Ll are Regular Heptagons (Called Elticins/Alticins and Eltictel/Altictel) Mm and Nn are Regular Octagons (Called Eltinri'ik/Altinri'ik and Elticsek/Alticsek) Oo and Pp are Regular Nonagons (Called Elticnox/Alticnox and Elticrix/Alticrix) Qq and Rr are Regular Decagons (Called Eltia'ok/Altia'ok and Eltiesac/Altiesac) Ss and Tt are Regular Hendecagons (Called Elticsum/Alticsum and Elttelsec/Alttelsec) Uu and Vv are Regular Dodecagons (Called Elttcins/Alttcins and Elttctel/Alttctel) Ww and Xx are Pentagrams (Called Eltteri'ik/Altteri'ik and Elttcsek/Alttcsek) Yy and Zz are Acute Heptagrams (Called Elttcnox/Alttcnox and Elttcrix/Alttcrix) The first letter in a pair has an internal design using straight lines, the second uses curved lines. The combined letters in each word is a unique image termed a sigil. Numbers are written in squares as dots in a 3 x 3 grid, with additional grids using small circles in place of dots representing multiples of 0 behind the main numeric. At rest, when a section of a grid is not being used for a number, it appears as a simple small dot. Dictionary A --- I' About --- Inorol Actions --- Keskix Ah --- Ti All --- Elskup Alphabet --- Inselta Am --- Tek An --- E' And --- Et Any --- Atl Anymore --- Atlyomi Anyone --- Atlins Anything --- Atllin Are --- Tel Aren't --- Telkel Arm --- Ambae Around --- Isen Arrival --- Zal At --- Tem Back --- Umt Backward --- Umten Bad --- Ke'nol Be --- Tin Begin --- Keltink Beginning --- Keltinkax Big --- Temac Birthday --- Mok Sur Zal Blind --- La'kel Body --- Ensimut Boy --- Olfribae Can --- Rat Can't --- Ratkel Chest --- Insens Common --- Waela Complete --- Yosilnec Completed --- Yosiltem Completely --- Yosil Comprehend --- Temwael Could --- Rattem Day --- Mok Dead --- Kaet Deaf --- Kela Death --- Kael Define (To) --- Ins- Die --- Kae Different --- Umtal Do --- Yosix Don't --- Yosikel Down --- Um Dragon --- Damin Dumb --- Spakel Eat --- Astik End --- Talisimut Every --- Els Everyone --- Elsins Everything --- Elslin Feel --- Te'em Female --- Frins Finish --- Talink Foot --- Insbae Forward --- Amsut Friend --- Telan Funeral --- Kael Prk Get --- Krik Girl --- Olfrins Good --- Kri'nol Great --- Nost Had --- Taki Hand --- Insam Hate --- Te'an Have --- Tant He --- Mak Head --- Insimut Hear --- Es'sa He'll --- Maki Hello --- Kril Her --- Mil Here --- Talem Hi --- Kri Him --- Meh'ta Hospital --- Octhriss Hour --- Crek Human --- Amtel Hurt --- Ahm I --- Mul I'd --- Multem Idiot --- Morka If --- Ep I'll --- Muni I'm --- Mek In --- Telam Inside --- Amtela Is --- Keh It --- Unt It'd --- Untem It'll --- Unte It's --- Ukeh Janni --- Janni Jannic --- Jannic Kill --- Epkel Kiss --- Tellam Lead --- Astep Leader --- Insstep Left --- Tekei Leg --- Baeur Legacy --- Befur Less --- Kelmil Let --- Sulin Let's --- Sulal Letter --- Elta Life --- Leika Light --- Minos Lightyear --- Yolmin Limit --- Insut Listen --- Es'kem Little --- Ol Long --- Emsel Love --- Lam Male --- Fribae Marriage --- Crel'szur Mate --- Lamtel Me --- Mut Month --- Mal More --- Yosmil Mute --- Spakot My --- Mat Name --- Insmul Near --- Namt Nearest --- Namtel Neck --- Beimul Night --- Prk No --- Kelzut Not --- Kelzac Now --- Pr'ka Number --- Inskep Of --- Sur Oh --- Te Old --- Alk On --- Temi Or --- Nip Our --- Mael Out --- Telem Outside --- Emtela Ow --- Ah Own --- Manil Pain --- Ahmut Partner --- Lanten Pass --- Parl Peace --- Sliil People --- Talnar Piece --- Ental Place --- Tala Please --- Jann Real --- La'te Really --- Tela Right --- Takai Rock --- Jaul Round --- Sen Salt --- Keltu'un Scent --- Insus See --- La'as Sex --- Inslam She --- Krek She'll --- Kreni Short --- Cem Should --- Yosem Show --- Talim Small --- Im Smell --- Us'sk Sound --- Inses Sovice --- Sovice Speak --- Spak Spell --- Sem Spelled --- Seiut Spelt --- Set Start --- Kelu'ut Stop --- Ut Stopped --- Utel Taste --- As'as Thank you --- Insmaal That --- Ilnut That's --- Ilkeh The --- Ken Their --- Kanil Them --- Kenap Then --- Kaul'ka There --- Ilnal These --- Kensk They --- Kenal They'd --- Kentem They're --- Kentel Thing --- Lin This --- Ant Time --- Kaulpr'ka To --- Ap Total --- Insnec Touch --- Te'il Understand --- Umwael Up --- Em Us --- Lalni Very --- Tesu War --- Maskra Was --- Tap Way --- Patk We --- Tlan Were --- Ilo We're --- Tatel Weren't --- Ilokel What --- Lem Where --- Lon Who --- Lek Whole --- Lektal Why --- Lat Will --- Teni Won't --- Tenikel Word --- Leta Would --- Tentem Wrong --- Temt Yeah --- Yos Year --- Yolnec Yes --- Yosut You --- Maal You'd --- Maltem Your --- Mel You're --- Matel Numbers 0 --- Nol 1 --- Ins 2 --- Tel 3 --- Fri'ik 4 --- Sek 5 --- Nox 6 --- Crix 7 --- Pa'ok 8 --- Esac 9 --- Sum 10 --- Inssec 11 --- Inssecins 12 --- Inssectel 13 --- Inssecfri'ik 14 --- Inssecsek 15 --- Inssecnox 16 --- Insseccrix 17 --- Inssecpa'ok 18 --- Inssecesac 19 --- Inssecsum 20 --- Telsec 100 --- Inscra'ag 200 --- Telscra'ag 1000 --- Inssecr'ag 2000 --- Telsecr'ag Add --- Yoski Addition --- Insyoki Angle --- Insem Arc --- Enlesin Area --- Tolin Average --- Kehins Circumference --- Leksen Degree --- Semi Diameter --- Inscsen Finite --- Hexut Finity --- Hexins Infinite --- Nolins Infinity --- Nolinsut Line --- Listol Multiple of 10 --- -sec Multiple of 100 --- -cra'ag Multiple of 1000 --- -secr'ag Negative --- Inskel Percent --- Enlek Percentage --- Inslek Perimeter --- Ensen Pi --- Instel Point --- Dol Positive --- Insyos Radius --- Telcsen Recurring --- Noli'il Sector --- Inslis Subtract --- Kelki Subtraction --- Inskeki Surface --- Ertem Surface Area --- Ertol Tangent --- Emtala Vertex --- Emtel The Janni divided their years into "Mals", each of which lasted 52-53 multiples of 22 hours, or "creks", each multiple effectively a day called a "mok" (Pronounced moe-k). This means their year was measured in 8 Mals (52, 53, 53, 52, 52, 52, 53, 52) for a total of 9218 hours (Or about 384.083 Earth days). Holidays were a difficult thing to set by climate on Jannah, as the climate was at all times hectic and virtually unpredictable other than by their advanced technology. As a result, few holidays existed based on them, though it was customary to celebrate a prolonged period of rain with a sheltered festival called a Pk'riim. Birthdays were celebrated (Known as "Mok Sur Zal", or "Day of Arrival"), as were marriages and deaths (With equal intensity, Crel'szurs (Marriages) and Kael Prks (Death Nights) respectively) Names - Names in Jannic are typically only 1 word long, a single name that defines an individual. Most often, combining other words with distinct meanings to compose a general feel of the person uniquely forms this name. At other times, sounds suffice to create a name. Because Janni therefore lack a family name entirely, it is left out of their daily lives unless they themselves choose to involve them, and any disgrace one member of a family line may bring upon themselves is not transferred to their inheritors unless they wish to inherit it. This gives each individual Janni total control over how others perceive them, be it as the person they intend to be, or as the people that spawned them. For example, the name of the wonder prodigy, Angstrom, is composed of the two Jannic words for “grand” (Angst) and “ideas” (Rom). Therefore, the name Angstrom implies a great intellect, specifically ones involving big things, things that will most certainly affect the world, “Grand Ideas” as it were. The name of Angstrom’s android daughter, Meter, is not derived from separate words but is instead composed from a single sound. The onomatopoeic word, Meter, was the first sound that Angstrom used to communicate with Meter, and thus was effectively the first word she learned. As a result, it was given to her as her name. Religion and Philosophy – Early in their evolution, the predecessors of the Janni were a struggling group. On Jannah, life was difficult, and at best with traditional philosophical methods every generation would only answer perhaps a dozen of the fundamentally basic questions. Therefore, over the generations they developed a form of inherited memory that was passed down through their bloodlines to present day Janni. This means that by the time the Janni evolved into a distinct species, they already inherently knew the answers to the questions that would ensure their survival. Where to find shelter from the winds, what rocks to filter water with to make it safely drinkable, etc. However, as the Janni were a highly intellectual and curious race, they had no need for philosophy in their lives, and this genetic memory eventually fell dead as the genes eventually fell into obscurity, perhaps 1 in 200 billion Janni having just a fragment of it. Likewise, because of their intellectual natures and the inherited information of their genus, they had no room to invent deities or other fantastical ideas inherent in religious belief. They already knew where their race had come from, so the thoughts of their original creators was something they knew the answer to. They already knew how to live their lives to the fullest, so there was no room for religion to fill in their time. As a result of all of this, the Janni never developed religion and worshipped no deities. This only added to their extremely advanced technology and scientific information. Culture – Music in Jannic culture is an odd mix between techno and classical, resulting from their highly developed society and technology, enhanced by the mixture of sharp and flowing sounds in their language. Entertainment ranges through all the same things as Human cultures do, though pleasures of the flesh are a much smaller portion in Janni culture than it is in Human culture, due to their biological traits. In particular, the Janni popularly enjoy a game called Temac Damin (“Big Dragon”), which is similar to football but involves the players aiming at holes in opposing walls rather than goals, and as an evolution of the natural reflexes created to avoid explosive environmental hazards the players use their feet whilst performing various acrobatics, and so martial arts are also popular as a competitive sport (Of which there are few). Fictional literature is something the Janni wholly adore, as it allows them to express their great intellect and their curious nature simultaneously to develop richly detailed worlds and situations, usually and most popularly dealing with the adventures of a Janni in an alien environment, revealing facets of society and reality that the Janni, in their evolutionary haste, skipped over. Speculative fiction is to the Janni however, like Philosophy, a dead art. Measurements – Janni use metre-based and pound-based measuring systems. They derive the centimetre as one third of the horizontal distance between their eyes, which measures 3.0 cm on average. They increase their measurements in multiples of 10. As a result, trading Sovices usually spend a few moments converting the typically inch-based distance systems of other races into Jannic metres.So, anyone have any thoughts about this? I'm pretty certain about most of the details, but I'd like second opinions
Lyinginbedmon 01-01-07, 08:20 PM	Telsec (20) views and no-one has any thoughts? I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult... Come on folks! To my knowledge this level of detail supercedes even most Wizards race books!