FALALA

Euclides

Plural: Euclide
Pronounced: YOU-CLID-ISS / YOU-CLID-E

The first and original creation by the murdon, and the oldest of the three LC species. Their types generally tend to be 'negative,' although art and music based types also appear.

When Yuukuj, the euclide's creator, became distraught with how humans were running their planet, he took away the euclide's souls and turned them against humans. Euclide's naturally prey on humans, and, despite having been moved to Izarn, they continue to have a strong taste for it. Many of them disrespect humans, considering them inferior animals and nothing more than something to sate their appetites with.

Like all LC, the euclide can come in all shapes and sizes, resembling earth's living (and sometimes extinct*) animal species. They grow anywhere between 3'-6' feet at the shoulder. This includes those that resemble field mice to giraffes! Despite the animal species the LC looks like, its size will be no more (or no less) than what is common for the average euclide. Most are between the size of a large dog and a rhinoceros.

Growth and Reproduction

Euclide do not often take permanent mates. The majority of their species is polygamous, with little or no loyalty to their sexual partners. Offspring may be raised by the mother, both parents, and groups of LC. Many LC are abandoned by their real parents at a very young age, and forced to fend for themselves.

Those euclide who do take permanent mates are often part of an established cast. Having so many individuals around to help take care of offspring and aid the mother through her pregnancy and labour has many benefits for all involved. Bebes raised in a cast are often better socialized, healthier, and more powerful. Furthermore, there are fewer chances of complications occurring during birth. While death during labour is uncommon, a mother with a cast (and a normal pregnancy) is guaranteed to live through the birth, and produce happy, healthy offspring.

Euclide are highly fertile, with short pregnancies and the ability to produce at any time during the year. Pregnancy lasts no more than 4 months. Bebes are born with their eyes and ears open, and can learn how to walk within a matter of days. They develop quickly, reaching sexual maturity at two years (which makes them roughly adolescents).

Euclide rarely die of old age, and the oldest have been known to survive to well over 800 years.

Death and the Afterlife

While a natural death of old age is quite rare amongst the euclides, more violent deaths happen every day. This species is inclined toward bloodletting, and lower ranking individuals who aren't careful are popped off the world of the living like dandelion heads. Fortunately for this violent race, death doesn't always mean death.

Unique to the euclides is a system of potential afterlives, which is known from birth by their eyes. This trait does not appear to be genetic, but rather occurs through random happenstance. Perhaps it is influenced by power, rank, or personality?

There are three types of euclides eyes (that occur without hybridization), and each type has its own "afterlife."

• Empty Eyes: These eyes are solid, milky white, with no pupil or iris visible. The euclides is not blind, but rather takes in light normally. Empty eyed euclides are the most common, and have a 40% chance of turning undead once they kick the bucket. The other 60% are properly deceased, and stay dead.

• White Iris: These eyes are white, and have a small silvery iris, barely distinguishable from the milky white of the eye. White iris euclides are the rarest, only appearing once in every 50 or so euclides. 50% of white iris types are reborn or reincarnated after death. They will remember their past life fairly well, and will retain many of their personality traits - but in a younger, more curious mind at birth. White irises do not always reincarnate into other white iris forms, and may even come back as an amuni, defore, or another species altogether!

• Pupil: Pupils are fairly common, and can be easily predicted as well. Several types tend to be restricted to pupil eyes, such as paranoia and addiction types. Pupil eyed euclides have the normal white eye, no iris, and small black pupils. In general, pupil eyed euclides tend to be fairly jumpy and paranoid in life, and are rarely high ranking. When they die, pupil eyes have a 75% chance of becoming a ghost or spirit. They are many times restricted to haunting the area of their death, or the individual who killed them. And their nerves haven't calmed down much, even without a corporeal form to be harmed or addicted.

Soul Strands and Death

Because of the intimate connection of soul strands, between the owner and the thief, a euclides who dies while holding one (or several) will not have the normal afterlife effects of their eye-type.

While the body of the euclides dies, the mind is still connected to another individual's soul, essentially saving the deceased's soul as well. These two souls are attached, and once the euclides dies, the soul strand will return to its original owner. This is unfortunate for both individuals involved. The euclides' soul is now trapped inside a human (or other) host!

Essentially, the human (or other) is now possessed! Fortunately, it is quite possible to fight the euclides, and keep them from taking over their body. A euclides who was of a lower rank in life will have a harder time fighting for control over the host body, where as a powerful puppet master is probably going to play it like a flute.

If the euclides was holding multiple soul strands at the time of death, its soul will be sliced apart, each piece dragged to a new host through the soul strand. This essentially kills the euclides soul, but will have very nasty effects on the new host body. If the human's mind isn't immediately destroyed, the individual will slowly succumb to insanity. These humans often revert to cannibalism and violence, taking on several euclides-like traits. They may even begin to develop some watered down type abilities of the soul they now host.

Powers

Soul Strands

The euclides were given the power of keeping 'soul strands,' which earned them their ranking system theme of puppeteers. All sentient beings have soul strands, and a euclides may temporarily extract this from an individual's conscious, rendering them immobile and helpless. The euclides may then use these soul strands to puppeteer their victims - giving the euclides full control over their bodies. The individual is conscious of this, and views it as an out of body experience. Higher ranking euclide may have control over several soul strands at a time, for longer periods, but all must eventually be given up.

On average, a soul strand can be held for up to 48 hours. Puppet Master and directors who have had adequate practice can hold them for much longer, but the time takes its toll on the user. The soul strand will be trying to "fight back" against the thief, causing headaches, dizziness, nausea, hallucinations, moments of confusion, and so forth. Too long, and permanent brain damage can occur. The mind needs a rest after taking over a soul strand, and is left raw and open for several hours once the strand has been returned. It is especially open to other forms of mind control and telepathy.

Physical proximity is required in order to obtain a soul strand. Higher ranking and well-practiced individuals do not need to physically touch those they're stealing from, but closeness is required. A soul strand is very rarely taken willingly, and will struggle against a euclide as hard as it can. Individuals weak of mind or temperament (timid, nervous individuals, for example) or those suffering from ill health are much easier to steal from than a healthy, confident individual.

Role-playing soul strands: It is very easy to power-play the usage of soul strands. It is best to discuss any plot ideas out of character, or role-play the attempt to take over like you were a battle (i.e. rolling dice for success). Your character will probably act very much unlike itself. Depending on the level of control, you can discuss OOC what tasks the euclides will give your character, or allow the role-player of the euclides to temporarily take over your character. A note regarding (and linking to) the role-play in which the soul strand was taken would be helpful at the beginning of any new RP, where a character has been taken over.

Ranks and Casts

All euclide are born with a genetic "rank" which determines (to some extent) their personality, their power, their intelligence, and their size. Higher ranking euclide are stronger, larger, and more powerful than their lower ranking peers. This rank system also determines the number of soul strands they can command at any one time.

Euclide form themselves into groups based on these ranks, with a Puppet Master (the highest rank) taking the "alpha" or leader position. An organized group of euclide is called a Cast, in reference to their "puppeteer" theme. A cast can consist of 3 to over 20 members! The size is hindered only by how many individuals a Puppet Master can command.

It is customary, although no longer required, that a Puppet Master sport a hat (commonly a top hat) to denote their rank.

Since the migration to Izarn, members of a cast no longer need to live together, providing protection and an easy way of acquiring prey for all their members. Casts must reside in the same province, though, and many times will have their living quarters close together. Casts are still required to support each other, and their loyalty to one another exceeds that of guild members or nationality. Often a cast member will only ever reproduce will members of the same faction.

While casts commonly require a Puppet Master in order to be properly formed, on rare occasions a very confident and powerful Director may create and rule over their own faction.

Puppet Master:
• Can hold 3 soul-strands at a time
• Leaders of their factions, up to three in a single cast
• Are often commanding, assertive, and confident

  Director:

• Can hold 2 soul-strands at a time
• Act as a mediator between all PMs in a single faction
• 1 per cast
• Are often self-involved, confident, creative, visionaries, planners, and organized

  Marionette:

• Can hold 1 soul-strand at a time
• Generally considered the "breeders" of the cast, the most attractive and desirable of the euclide
• Often become the personal harem of a puppet master
• 5 per puppet master

  Puppeteer:

• Can hold 1 soul-strand at a time
• The bulk of a cast's members, with no specific roles, other than obedience and support
• Unlimited numbers permitted

  Script Writer:

• Can hold 1 soul-strand at a time
• the creative organizers of a cast
• 2 per cast
• often eccentric, worldly, creative, and artistic

  Puppet:

• Cannot hold soul-strands
• The bottom of the bottom, used as servants and general 'beating bags' for the higher ranking members
• 3 puppets per puppet master