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This article was written by ChineseLegolas. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Fractal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sapient Species | |
| Powers |
Pseudo-immortality Mineral attributes |
| Status |
Extant |
| Location |
Bota Magna (formerly) Spherus Magna |
| Pronunciation |
frak-təl |
The Fractals, or the ᚓᚍᚑᚁ ᚃᚏᚕ (lit. earth-born) in their native tongue, are a gemstone-like race of beings that formerly resided on Bota Magna. They trace their beginnings to the Earth and Rock Agori Tribes of the original Spherus Magna and have since returned to their reformed home planet.
History[]
Early History[]
The Fractals' ancestors were the Earth and Rock Agori that intermarried between each other to form an informal so-called Cave Tribe. Though more or less tolerated by the two original populations, the burgeoning population of the new Tribe began to swell and the Cave Agori found themselves more comfortable in a place they could call their own home. As they grouped together, they became more and more independant from their former masters, the Elemental Lords of Earth and Rock.
The Cave Agori would have most likely settled down in the shallow caves north of Gatherer's Ridge on Bara Magna had the Great Shattering not torn apart the planet. Though they holed themselves up in whatever mountain crevice they could find to avoid the War, many perished anyways due to the Shattering itself. Those who survived were stranded on Bota Magna.
During the forest moon's early formation, frozen chunks of energized protodermis would rain down, forming the known protodermis reservoirs on Bota Magna. One such meteorite crashed into the mountain range where the Cave Agori had hastily retreated under. After several years of harsh living, they eventually stumbled upon the underground protodermis spring. Having become lost in the caverns and with their numbers dwindling, the Cave Agori decided they had no choice but to touch the protodermis, as they would inevitably be wiped out from starvation. They were instantly mutated into the earliest Fractals: Agori-sized mutants, half rock, half metal.
Over the next few centuries, these rocky entities ventured deeper and deeper into the moon's crust, slowly becoming accustomed to their new form and habitat. Current Fractal records state that one of their ancestors lost a limb in an accident and decided to replace it with a large hunk of unrefined crystal, most likely quartz. Not only did his body accept the new limb, he found he could replace all of his limbs with crystal. This was the first true Fractal.
The Fractals have had very little contact with the surface-roamers during their time on Bota Magna save for some trading. They respected and kept a distance from the affairs of the surface-roamers and, in turn, so did the surface-roamers. They did so not out of repsect but simply because no one actually knew what the Fractals were truly like and did not want to anger an unknown species. The merchants that did communicate with the earth-born were usually befriended, albeit at an arm's length, and were trusted not to spread too much word of the Fractals.
Since their humble origin, the Fractals have expanded throughout the underground tunnels and caves. By the time of the Reformation, Fractal territory consisted of over half of Bota Magna's cave network.
Recent History[]
After the Great Reformation, the Fractals attempted to return to their ancestral lands, but their new forms would not allow them to live so close to the surface. Instead, the travelled north, settling under a dormant volcano some two hundred kio west of the Vayu Peninsula. They brought along only the most critical of their possessions so the Fractals have spent much of their time on the newly reformed planet rebuilding and exploring their new home.
Physiology and Behavior[]
Biology and Anatomy[]
The Fractals, though having evolved from Agori, have no organic tissue due to their mutation. In place of muscles, skin, and organs, gems make up the entirety of their inner body. Typically, they have a few mechanical parts left from their Agori ancestors, mostly gears or sockets at their joints, though mechanical implants are a rising trend. Some Fractal warriors have elected to graft armor plating, often to their lower legs or shoulders.
Over the many millenia, the Fractals have grown in height. Early Fractal records seem to note that the early Cave Agori struggled to reach the top of caves and were often injured in cave-ins after failing to secure the ceiling. The modern earth-born averages about 1.4 bio, slightly shorter than a Toa.
Another curious attribute is the Fractals’ general lack of sexual dimorphism. Although the Cave Agori, of course, were entirely capable of sexual procreation, the Fractals are not. Genders as other races understand it do not truly apply to the Fractals though they do identify themselves as one of two sexes. “Male” and “female” Fractals are physically similar to each other and both are fairly slender. A Fractal’s body is many times more dense than an organic being’s, so their smaller frame allows them to better withstand the higher pressures, minimizing the surface area of body that is in contact to the heavy atmosphere. Height between the two gender is also rather similar, the “males” about 0.1-0.2 bio taller. Luckily, radically different hairstyles allow the average surface-roamer differentiate between Fractals.
Fractals, being entirely made of crystal, do not have hair or fur in the sense some Bota Magnan or Aqua Magnan species did. However, crystal sheets do grow on top of their head and are extraordinairly easy to shear and shape. Though worthless to the earth-born, as they are not considered living gems, they are treated as semi-valuable gemstones by the other races. These “growstals”, as traders have nicknamed them, expand by themselves about an inch every year.
The Fractals do not truly reproduce as they do not have any sort of DNA. Instead, genetic material and patterns are stored in the minute differences in an individual’s Fractal’s crystal habit (the general shape of a single gem in a Fractal), cleavage (how a Fractal breaks apart), and crystal matrix (how a Fractal’s gems are arranged). For a young Fractal to come into being, two Fractals must break. One small crystal is taken from each, powdered, and then, depending on the original crystals, are taken to one of three incubation chambers. For harder gems, the “dust” is put inside a lava press. For gems of middling hardness, they are also taken to the lava press, but are removed soon after and are placed under a salt spring. For those of low hardness, they are immediately taken to the salt springs. The third location is for the three aestivating Fractals. All three are taken to the lava press, removed shortly thereafter, and then buried in an icy cave. These processes can take anywhere from a few years to a few decades.
Traits[]
Fractals have a few unique abilties, their near-immortality being the most widely researched by the other races. They are unable to wear Kanohi and while certain Fractals are able to generate electricity and liquid metals, and a very select few can even control heat, these are not elemental powers and Fractals therefore cannot use elemental energies.
- Pseudo-immortality: Their ability to theoretically live forever is what defines the Fractals. Though a Fractal may break, so long as enough of its crystal fragments are recovered, they can be carefully pieced back together. Crystal fragments that have been completely crushed, melted, or damaged by mercury cannot be recovered. Missing gems can be replaced by non-living gems of the same variety to help make up for a Fractal's missing crystals, but only for small amounts. Approximately 90% of a Fractal's gems needs to be recovered for a sculptor to mend their patient.
- Mineral hardness: A gem's hardness directly translates to the overall physical strength of a Fractal. While even the weakest Fractal is as physically strong as a Glatorian, those with a mineral hardness of 8 or over are often as strong as a titan or even two.
- Mineral attributes: Depending on what sort of gem a Fractal is made of, they will generally take on some of that gem's physical properties. The Kyanir and Synna are prime examples of this. As Kyanite can have a different hardness when cut either horizontally or vertically, the Kyanir and also change their hardness depending how they are put together. Cinnabar produces mercury and, therefore, so can the Synna. Negative attributes, such as poor heat retention or susceptibility to acids, also come to the forefront.
- Refractory night vision: Despite not having mechanical eyes, Fractals have near-perfect night vision. This in itself is a bit of an anomaly as subterranean creatures are often blind. The only explanation for their incredible eyesight is the energized protodermis that mutated them; No other organism shares this independantly evolved optic system. As a Fractal's eye is a giant, spherical prism, light will bounce many times within before the image is finally processed, despite the eye having no rods or cones. This refractory eyesight, however, does have a shortcoming. While seeing objects at a distance has no problems, close-up objects end up getting mirrored due to their optic system. This explains why, for example, a sign in the Fractal language is read left to right, but any small text is read right to left.
- Electricity generation: Two of the Quarzen subspecies are able to periodically generate mild to strong electric jolts, typically around 100 to 450 volts.
- Thermokinesis: The third form of Quarzen, the Citrees, are born with the ability to radiate constant heat. Very, very rarely, they are able to directly control this heat with their thoughts.
- Poison generation: Two subspecies of Fractals produce poison, each making a different kind. Malacytes create copper sulfate, while Synnas secrete mercury.
Behaviour[]
General Tendencies[]
The Fractal tend to join together in communities numbering between one to three hundred. There is an estimated twenty-five of these villages, with one mega-village serving as an unofficial capital. Fractal society (which is covered in greater detail in the sections below) is complex, as one would expect from an ancient race. They can be classified as a "post-industrial, with slight agrarian traditions, society with a highly effcient and developed labour force that is heavily skewed towards a mercantile economy".
Fractals garner metabolic energy from both heat and light. They can survive for many weeks without either, but will become sluggish and fall into a coma if this is prolonged. All forms of Quarzen can produce either light or heat, and as such, do not have this limitation. However, the majority of Fractals, including the Quarzen, experience a greatly slowed metabolism throughout the winter seasons and as such hibernate. The three aestivating species are the reverse, and sleep during the warmer months.
The average Fractal spends works for about 10 Solis Magnan hours, sleeps for 6, and uses the rest for socializing or other activities. The Quarzen who are born as to work as electricity producers work for 16 hours, the additional 6 hours being spent sleeping while passively creating energy.
Enemies and Predators[]
As Fractals do not eat anything, they are therefore technically at the bottom of the food chain. They are a strong race, however, and fear few creatures, save for the most dangerous.
- Giant Cave Nematode: The distant, most likely mutated, cousin to the common earthworm. While the Nematodes only eat loose mineral-rich rocks, bacteria, and other small mammals, they still pose a threat to the Fractals due to their destructive burrowing and acidic waste byproducts, namely hydrofluoric acid. The Fractals avoid slaying these beasts, mainly because they have proven very difficult to wound, and have relied on Malacyte poison to ward off these huge worms.
- Igneous Roc: A large bird-like creature, comprised of molten rock, standing thrice as tall as the average Fractal. The Igneous Roc has been speculated to be biologically similar to the Citree: Both have no internal organs and both radiate intense heat, the Roc producing enough energy to melt the ground where it stands. An incredibly dangeous predator, the Roc does not actually eat Fractals. Rather, it collects them, attempts to true-break them, and use the shards to line its nest, often a dormant lava pool. There have been stories where a Roc was not able to completely break down a Fractal. Fighters from several villages would band together and slay the creature in hopes of recovering their fallen brother or sister.
- Quicksilver Mole: Though small and seemingly harmless, these moles constantly secrete mercury to aid slipping through cracks. These creatures pose an extreme threat to the Fractal. Though originally not common enough to warrant any notice, their numbers have increased recently and only the Synna are able to safely handle the mammal. The only problem is that the Synna are at an all-time low in their population, due to years of exiling young Synna.
Society[]
General Tendencies[]
Having braved many dangers to reach their current status, the Fractal are a somewhat proud people, sometimes to the point of thinking that the surface-roamers are weak and inferior. After the Reformation, they have come into prolonged contact with the other races and this opinion has begun to waver.
For thousands of years, the Fractals were an extremely xenophobic race. They shunned others and were content with expanding their own domain. Most of all, they wanted to avoid any sort of conflict, perhaps out of a subconscious trauma caused by the Shattering. The Fractals deemed trading necessary only because it was a means to help make their own kind stronger. This policy has begun to relax after the Reformation.
Ethical Issues[]
Social issues within the Fractal race have been present since their early beginnings. While many have been resolved, either peacefully or by protest, two major conflicts are still ongoing with no clear solution and end in sight.
- The Agatis "Blackening": There is no direct translation for "blackening". The Agatis were once the most diverse vein, with nearly as many variants as there were other subspecies. In addition, every single Agatis was uniquely patterned. Though they had the numbers and versatility, they were inferior to the Quarzen in nearly every way. Both were large veins with middling hardness and durability. Howver, the Agatis could not withstand hydrofluoric acid nor could they produce electricity. As such, many Agatis exposed themselves to high heat, removing their colouration, turning them jet-black. These false Kuronis intermingled with the natural Kuronis, who were the only Agatis to truly find a niche among the Fractals. This crisis was finally resolved when one group of Agatis, the Sardonis, founded the Architect's Guild, which ensured at least two Agatis strains would remain extant.
- The Synna: This particular subspecies is poisonous and continually produces globules of mercury. The main problem is that mercury is deathly fatal to other Fractal veins; their gems are irreversibly corroded by the metal. This causes young Synna, who cannot control their poison, to be extremely destructive. Most end up exiled where they are preyed on by the underground's fearsome predators. Those who happen to mature, often with the help of an adult Synna mentor, go on to become warily respected wanderers.
- The hibernating and aestivating subspecies: The clash between these two groups has gone on since time immemorial. As the hibernating species comprise of over 85% of the entire Fractal population, in crude terms, it can be said that the aestivating Fractal depend somewhat on their hibernating counterparts. Despite this, both groups are intertwined and the winter Fractals have made their mark in history with their own accomplishments and have duties only they can do. The main source of conflict arises as the two group live in the same villages. There have been many debates and rallies for seperation of the two groups. Though they have been soundly outvoted by Fractals that want to remain unified every time, the margin grows smaller and smaller with each referendum. The reasoning of the seperatists are that they want to put to rest these arguments once and for all. They believe it is best for villages solely for summer Fractals, and villages solely for winter Fractals where they can develop two individual, harmonius societies. The unionists believe the two group coexist better with each other, despite the occasional clash. Each of the summer and winter factions undertake duties that take care of their brethren as they sleep. It would be detrimental to the entire race if they separated. In addition, a diaspora of Fractals would cause utter chaos.
General Philosophy[]
Much of the Fractal thought process revolves around their ability to break and be rebuilt. As such, they percieve danger in a different way compared to how a surface-roamer might. The concept of sacrificing oneself for the greater good is also much more extreme as they value life very highly, both their own and other organisms. They actively drive away or fight only dangerous, violent creatures.
Even the Fractals' names subtly reflect their long lives. Most Fractal names are very simple, often two syllables. As they live so long, there is no need to think of new names.
The concept of breaking might be what other sentient beings consider death, but breaking to the Fractals is little more than a mistake. Even while in pieces for long periods of time, a Fractal will not further degrade or be otherwise harmed. They do not not feel nor think while broken. All they need to do is wait for a sculptor to piece them back together. Furthermore, “death” is not really a word or definition to the Fractals. Instead, they have the word “true-break”, which translates to “fatal mistake”. This might seem contradictory as "fatal" means deathly, but the Fractals simply do not have another suitable word. It is how the other species have translated "true-break". Their incredible longevity, as well as their underground home which is made of solid, immovable rock, causes a general disposition to treat temporary or decomposable things with both curiosity and a sense of belonging. Things like paper or wood to them are what silverware are like to the surface-roamers.
While they no longer see organic organisms as inferior, Fractals do think dying is still very inconvienent. They simply cannot understand how an Agori, for example, could possibly be content with his lot in life when he can become sick or even die from old age, despite being descended from Agori themselves. The Matoran, on the other hand, sparks great interest as they, like them, have a prolonged lifespan and do not seem to age or wither away. Matoran can also repair themselves when injured, much like what happens after a Fractal breaks.
The Fractals, like many of the species on Bota Magna, do not have any concept of the Great Spirit and are distrustful of the Elemental Lords. The Elemental Lord of Earth, the only one present on Bota Magna, has tried to lay claim on the Fractal race in the past. The Fractals drove her back and this has only strained their already tense relations.
Hierarchy[]
A Fractal's standing in society is decided upon a great multitude of factors and while there are those held in higher regard, it is very worth nothing that Fractals tend to see much of their kind as equals as they are not an abundant species.
Caste System[]
The Fractal caste system is somewhat lenient. While everygem is assigned a position at birth and is expected to fulfill that duty, nothing stops them from learning new skills. In fact, those with talents in multiple fields are always welcome. In addition, there is no administrative or ruling caste. The eldest Fractal takes a semi-figurehead position for his community, with the eldest male taking precedence. Lastly, the worker's caste is a fairly loose grouping; All Fractals are expected to fulfill village duties.
- Sculptor/Sculptress: The undisputed top caste is reserved for those learned in the chiselling and repairing of crystals and is the only caste that a Fractal cannot be born into. As immortality plays a large part of Fractal philopsophy and way of living, is it the Sculptor's Guild that mends any broken Fractal. Though any Fractal can becomes a sculptor, many of those who do are born with a certain degree of natural talent. Though most villages usually have a handful of sculptors, smaller ones must rely on a travelling sculptor.
- Fighter: Note: The remaining castes are often seen as more or less equal in social standing.
- Defender: The majority of Fractals can become defenders, so long as their mineral composition is hard enough. Their primary duty is to protect not just those in their village, but any Fractal in real, perceived, or implied danger.
- Scout: Scouts are often paired with a defender to patrol and guard the other citizens. Like defenders, almost anygem can train as a scout. Though they often serve as lookouts, their most important duty is to recover the shards of a broken Fractal so that they may be put back together.
- Warrior: A special sect of fighters reserved for the truly elite. Normally, they fulfill the same duties as a defender, but in times of strife, they are called up to rise up as the Fractals' champions and lead other fighters into battle. Their ranks are small, but are comprised of the powerful Black Diamante, the fire-minds, as well as several other legendary soldiers of varying veins from all the other clans.
- Artisan: The largest caste, the artisans encompass all crafters, such as the stillmakers, the stoneweavers, the Inventor’s Guild, the blacksmiths, the explorers, those whom we call miners, and many others.
- Architect: The Architect's Guild is a special organization founded by the Sardonis. With their expertise, larger and more structurally sound caves can be hollowed out, allowing for a greater expansion of Fractals villages and towns.
- Worker: The worker caste is a catch-all caste for those who remain unspecialized. They perform various duties around their village. Every Fractal, not just the designated workers, are expected to pitch in.
- Generator: A special caste reserved for the energy-producing White Quarzen and Thystia. They are assigned lighter duties around the village and periodically return to the storage center to deposit electric charges. Instead of returning home to sleep, they are given sleeping quarters in the storage plant where they passively generate electricity while resting.
- Merchant: The final caste is the most well-documented, simply because they are the Fractals most likely to venture aboveground and do business with the surface-roamers. Not all merchants are keen on leaving the deep underground labyrinthe, however. The merchant caste occupies a special niche within Fractal society as they are intertwined with all the Guilds. As such, over the years, the Merchant’s Guild has slowly expanded and now is also responsible for bureaucratic duties.
Mineral Hardness[]
Mineral hardness does come into play slightly when determining social standing. As greater strength comes from higher hardness, and, most of the time, a greater hardness means a lower tendency to break. High-hardness Fractals are looked up to slightly by those of lower hardness, in a similar way a younger sibling looks up to his older brother or sister, rather than an authority figure.
Language[]
The Fractals have developed their own language using their Fragham alphabet, but it remains somewhat similar to that of their original Spherus Magnan language. Fractals read and write small print from right to left, but large print, such as posters, from left to right. This is due to their unique eye composition; Light refracted through their eyes gets reversed if looking at objects that are too close.
Sentence structure remains remarkably similar to the Agori's language, though the use of articles has somewhat deteriorated. The biggest changes are the Fractal alphabet, the abundance of conjoined words called "kennings" in the Agori language, and the altered meaning of many words. To elaborate on kennings, these literary devices are similar to the Le-Matoran treespeak or chutespeak, though the complex origins, definitions, and etymology of the language make it hard for those learning it to understand at first glance. In addition, these semi-portmanteaus are not slang. The Fractals consider them day-to-day language.
Fragham Alphabet[]
The Fragham system is presumably named after an ancient Fractal, though the word "Fragham", or ᚈᚅᚓᚋᚌᚐᚏᚃ , translates to "fragment" or "little stone", which could hint at how the writing system was initially designed.
ᚐ : a | ᚁ : b | ᚉ : c or k | ᚇ : d | ᚓ : e | ᚕ : ə | ᚃ : f or th (th is archaic) | ᚌ : g | ᚖ : h | ᚔ : i | ᚗ : j | ᚂ : l | ᚋ : m | ᚍ : ng (archaic) | ᚅ : n | ᚑ : o | ᚚ : p | ᚊ : q | ᚏ : r | ᚄ : s | ᚈ : t | ᚒ : u | ⊫ : v | ⊪ : w | ᚘ : x | ᚛ : y | ᚎ : z
Known Words[]
- ᚈᚅᚓᚋᚌᚐᚏᚃ : Fragham. Literally means "fragment" or "little stone", the etymology is unclear. It is the name for the Fractal alphabet.
- ᚓᚍᚑᚁ ᚃᚏᚕ : Earth-born. Literally means "earth-born". It is the name for their species. To the Fractals, it means "born from the caves". This is an old word so it uses its archaic spelling: "earf bornge".
- ᚅᚔᚓ⊫ : Literally means vein. Translates to "clan" or "family", specifically an entire subspecies.
- ᚇᚅᚔᚋ ᚓᚏᚔᚃ : Translates to fire-mind. It is a great title, given to Citree who can directly control their heat.
- ᚄᚏᚓᚋᚐᚑᚏ : Translates to roamers and is short for "surface-roamers". It is the Fractal term for species that live above on dry land, sentient species in particular.
Evolution of the Fragham Alphabet[]
The Fractal language's origins have been lost, but early forms of it have been preserved in a few literary works and are widely studied. Studying these texts are not for the novice scholar as archaic Fragham can oftentimes seem like an entirely different language. Several differences arise, such as certain letters being used that are no longer in service, a different grammatical structure and syntax, as well as a marked lack of punctuation.
The most well-known and simplest to understand archaic text is an ancient settlement manual, written when the first Fractal village was build. Oddly enough, early Fragham was the most far removed from Bara Magna speech, despite being closest to it, relative to time. It is hard for historians to explain why, though the most common theory is that Old Fragham was merely a distorted condensation of the Agori's language.
For example, there is one letter no longer used in Modern Fragham and another that has been simplified: ᚍ and ᚃ , the first one being the arcahic letter, "ng", and the second now being "f", but was also once "th". The "ng" consonant was a holdover from the Agori language when Cave Agori and early Fractals still had a non-crystalline tongue to be able to make such a sound. The same goes for "th", though the alphabet character was kept for the letter "f".
The compression of the Agori language has led to many articles and some conjunctions being dropped entirely from the Old Fragham dictionary. This, coupled with a notorious lack of punctuation, is what makes reading older texts very difficult. Poems can often appear to be one huge passage, with only an occasional line break. It takes a learned Fractal to be able to both read and decipher the sentence structure of a classical Fragham work, as a different placement of footstops can completely alter the meaning of a passage.
Major Subspecies[]
The Fractals are well known for the staggering diversity within their population. The race has come to embrace their many differences, for the most part. Some issues, especially with the Synna and between the hibernating and aestivating Fractals have yet to be resolved. The earth-born use the word ᚅᚔᚓ⊫ , or "vein", which translates to "family" or "clan", to describe each variant of gem.
Hibernating Species[]
- Diamante (10): The Diamante are a fairly diverse vein but are relatively rare. Since diamonds are one of the hardest known minerals, this translates to great physical strength. In addition, they are impervious to any and all acids. The Diamante also conduct heat better than any other gem, allowing them to withstand both open lava and high temperatures. However, diamonds are also rather brittle. As such, Diamantes need to take care to not sustain too many injuries or they will break.
- White Diamante: The White Diamante, as one can guess, are made up of transparent diamond. Both the Fractals and the surface-roamers treasure the rare white diamond so a good portion of the White Diamante have become merchants, their brilliant luster often attracting surface-roamers. White Diamantes are by far the most fragile among the Diamante. While some of their number are born as defenders, they take extreme care.
- Yellow Diamante: The Yellow Diamante are the most common of the Diamante family. While they lack the striking brilliance of their White cousins, they still possess the hardness and strength shared by all Diamante. Yellow Diamantes are far less brittle and are highly valued as defenders and there are several Yellow Diamantes who have served as such for thousands of years.
- Black Diamante: The Black Diamante are not only the most rare form of Diamante, they are also the most rare type of Fractal. The least brittle of the Diamante, their strength in battle is unparalleled to the degree that they are considered to be born warriors and are called upon when grave danger threatens.
- Corunds (9): The Corunds are well-known for their striking colours and have two main variants. Despite their high hardness, durability, and resistance to acids, most Corunds are in the merchant or explorer castes, rather than a fighter.
- Rubea: Red Corunds are known as the Rubea. Rubea are known to specialize in selling Fractal mining equipment, a valuable commodity to the surface-roamers.
- Saphri: All other Corunds are grouped under the common name of Saphri. The majority of Saphri are blue, though there is the occasional green gem.
- Beryllis (8): The Beryllis have an above-average hardness but are fairly brittle, nearing the point of a White Diamante. In addition, unlike the Diamantes and Corunds, they are susceptible to hydrofluoric acid, a byproduct of the fairly common Giant Cave Nematodes that roam the caves. As such, they usually take on all duties other than a fighter's or explorer's. Unlike other veins with multiple forms, Emeraude and Aqiua specialize in completely different roles in Fractal society.
- Emeraude: Any green-hued Beryllis are called Emeraude and as their name suggests, they are comprised of emerald. Emeraudes are some of the greatest inventors within the Fractal race and have made countless breakthroughs and discoveries over the years.
- Aqiua: The Aqiua, made from the eye-catching ice-blue aquamarine, have honed their skills as artisans. In fact, the Stoneweaver's Guild is roughly two-thirds Aqiua. Those that do not belong to the Guild still support it in some way or another, either as a worker cultivating rocks and crystals, or by refining raw materials for the stoneweavers.
- Quarzen (7): The Quarzen are the most common of the Fractals, their numbers being as such due to the ever-present White Quarzen. With both average-high hardness and resistance to acids and heat, the tough Quarzen form the backbone of the Fractal race.
- White Quarzen: The most common gem. White Quarzen, made of quartz, can be found in any caste, being equally suited for the vigourous routine of a fighter or the delicate manuevers of a sculptor. White Quarzen are also one of two variants able to naturally passively generate electric charges. As such, a fair number of the them have become specialized workers, storing up their energy to power machinery.
- Thystia: The Thystia are made of an uncommon form of quartz, the unmistakable purple amethyst. The Thystia, over time, have also evolved to generate electricty. Like their White relatives, Thystia are suited for various tasks but many choose the life of a fighter, often a scout. Thystia scouts train themselves so that they can send out strong electrical jolts to incapacitate creatures.
- Citree: The Citree are comprised of the orange citrine and are somewhat rare. Citree are a special type of Quarzen and are formed when a young Quarzen is able to produce electricty at a young age. The heat from the generation transforms then into a Citree and they lose their electrical ability. Instead, they produce heat. A Citree can even indirectly set an object on fire by focusing its heat on it. This thermokinetic ability is very rare, usually seen once or twice every several centuries. For the most part, the Citree play an integral role as explorers. They constantly radiate heat so that their fellow Fractals can continue to work in cold areas.
- Kyanir (7 or 4): The Kyanir are unique gems able to withstand great pressure, high temperatures, and most acids. Made of the curious light blue kyanite, these Fractals are the only gems that can change their hardness. When they break, they can actually choose how their crystals are realigned and this determines them having a low or high hardness. When they choose to align their crystals vertically, they exhibit far greater strength with reduced agility. Horizontal crystals allow for extremely precise motor movement while increasing their brittleness and tendency to break. Kyanir who choose to have a high hardness make good defenders while those with low hardness are often trained to become sculptors.
- Agatis (6.5): Information on the Agatis can be found here.
- Kuronis (6.5): Kuronis are made of a type of black agate called onyx and make up the vast bulk of the Agatis. Kuronis are often as fighters and are well-known for their scouting abilities as their mineral outcroppings were entirely opaque and black, a unique trait among the earth-born.
- Sardonis (6.5): The only other form of Agatis that did not choose to blacken themselves. The Sardonis, made up of the reddish-orange mineral sardonyx, are the only modern-day gem that exhibit unique bandings on their minerals. Many of the Agatis, save for the Kuronis, were originally of the worker caste which made them the only gem family where most were workers. Instead of exposing themself to heat, the Sardonis instead spent years attempting to find some sort of breakthrough. At last, several of their kind discovered a systematic approach for hollowing out new caves, leading to the founding of the Architect's Guild. Many Sardonis would later became prominent inventors and architects.
- Lazuli (5.5): The Lazuli are not actually made of Lapis lazuli, as many surface-roamers assume. Lapis lazuli is not a gem; It is a rock. Rather, they are made up of the deep-blue Lazurite, the primary component of Lapis. They accept the moniker of "Lazuli" anyways, as the name has stuck. Though they are fragile, break easily, are easily damaged by various acids, and are overall a rare vein, the Lazuli have made themselves known as the most successful merchants of the Fractal race. In fact, it is they who occupy much of the Merchant Guild bureacracy. Lapis lazuli is also desired alongside diamonds and corundum by those on the surface, so the Lazuli also regularly venture aboveground for business.
- Obsydia (5): The Obsydia, composed of obsidian, are a special vein. From their very beginnings up until now, they have been born into a very specific niche within the artisan caste that no other gem has been able to enter: blacksmithing. All tools that the Fractals use are made of obsidian. Coupled with the Obsydias' high tolerance to heat, one of the highest among all veins of Fractal, and their high density, they are perfect for their duties.
- Malacyte (3.5): The Malacyte, made up of the opaque, green, malachite, are one of the two main poisonous Fractals. Without training, Malacytes will continually produce copper sulfate, a poison to many organic species. Fractals, are, of course, immune to this. In addition, in the presence of acid, Malacytes will produce this poison at an almost uncontrollable rate, at which point they become a grave danger. Due to this unique propety, many Malacytes are designated as special fighters despite their low hardness. They are paired up with scouts to poison an area to dissuade dangerous creatures from coming too close to a village.
- Synna (2): The Synna are the other type of poisonous Fractal. They are comprised of cinnabar, a bright red crystal. They have the lowest hardness out of all the major hibernating veins and produce liquid mercury as their poison. Unlike the Malacytes, whose poison does not harm Fractals, mercury is deathly lethal to all, save the Synnas themselves. Synnas, with training, can be a very useful asset, but many do not make it to this stage as a young Synna continually produces mercury, making it very difficult for a non-Synna to train. A mature Synna can use their mercury as a deadly weapon, flinging it with frightening strength, speed, and accuracy. Therefore, senior Synnas are greatly treasured, though still avoided by most. In addition, their poison also makes it extremely difficult for a sculptor to repair a Synna. Whenever a Fractal comes into contact with mercury, any part that is covered with the poison must be permanently shorn off or the mercury will slowly eat away at their body. Unfortunately, Synnas are rare, not because their comprising gem is, but because many are shunned by other Fractals and are then true-broken after being exiled. There are currently two active Synnas wandering between the Fractal villages, hoping to find young ones of their own kind before they are exiled from their home.
Aestivating Species[]
- Xandrite (8.5): The Xandrites are made up of the strange alexandrite. Depending on the ambient light, a Xandrite may appear as green, red, or even other colours. Like the other aestivating species, Xandrites are greatly resistant to both cold and hot extremes. They themselves are impervious to most acids and start off as being less brittle, but their breaking chances increase the longer they go without rest. Despite this flaw, the Xandrites are by far the strongest and hardest of the winter Fractals. They are often born as defenders and scouts.
- Seraphin (3): The Seraphins are comprised of the beautiful, deep green seraphin, a gemstone marked with pale yellow feather-like markings. The Seraphins are essentially the quartz of the aestivating species. They are the main group of workers though are much more fragile. They are notably durable for a low-hardness gem, however. They are resistant to high and low temperatures but are attacked by sulfuric acid, a commonplace occurence in underground cavities. Their low hardness and low tolerance to a common acid locks out Seraphins from becoming fighter and explorers. Other than those two castes, Seraphins make up the bulk of the other social duties, such as trading on the surface. They have also specialized as stillmakers and Seraphin busts and statues are known to fetch high prices.
- Antarctix (2): The Antarctix are quite possibly the most strange out of all the Fractals. The mineral Antarcticite melts at warm temperatures. As such, these Fractals can only assume a solid form during the winter months. They have an extremely low tolerance for heat, but thrive in the cold, so much so that they actually become tougher and stronger, rivalling the raw power of a Black Diamante during the coldest days. Antarctix do not truly belong to a caste, as they perform various special duties no other Fractal can do, but a fair number of them become explorers.
Known Fractal[]
- Dhara (village elder)
- Garmr
- Neith
Trivia[]
- "Return to Nifl" was composed by Intelligent Systems.
- The Fractal crest used in the infobox is similar to racial, faction or class crests used in games such as Warcraft, League of Legends and other games with considerable lore.
- The original concept of the Fractals, then called the Crystaliens, was for ChineseLegolas' dream game he tried to work on in high school.
- The Fragham alphabet uses characters from the ancient Ogham alphabet, with some changed to fill in for common English letters that did not exist in the old system, such as 't'. As the Ogham alphabet was two letters short, two similar-looking HTML symbols were added.
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