Jal'jin
One day, our people rose to power. We had the strength to stop simply wandering the seas and create grand cities. Our people came together and, with our combined strength, finally became the true apex predators of our home. Our cities became stationary, but over time, our people did not.
We forged a true multi-planet civilization. Our portals spread across vast distances with each planet adding to our knowledge and resources. Even when our portals opened to deserts, we found a way to persevere. We have always been survivors after all. We always found a way.
Were we fortunate that the few other peoples of this universe that we encountered were friendly? That we remained relatively closed off from other intelligent life? Perhaps we became docile in our grip of nature. We grew too used to being the apex predators.
If we never stopped preparing for a greater threat, maybe we would have been ready for the Great Sundering. Our seas would not have turned a deeper blue from the blood we shed. Lower scavengers would not be feasting on the flesh of our dead and we would not have had to flee from the monsters that descended on our homes.
Now we grasp tightly at whatever we can. Our people scattered to the winds from the great hurricane we have barely survived. Countless generations of history and knowledge potentially lost. There are many now that never knew the splendor of Cheomcột, the glow of Alooilo’ele ta Hoh!jonou’s great forests, the rolling expanses of Fjell Stjaralda, nor the seemingly endless expanse of Il Marabir Atisdere.
Our healers are now the bedrock of our survival. Our Magi are now the last hope we have of recovering those lost to us in the edges of space. Even our bards have gone from entertainers to seekers of lost history and culture. Not even the Yeomẫu’s legacy was spared.
But we will survive. We will recover. We will drown the monsters beneath the sea of our wrath.
We have always been survivors, after all. This is no different.
Summary
The Jal'jin are an amphibious alien, formally nomadic sapient species originating from the planet Stjaralda located in near the Cassiopeia Nebula. While they spent many generations spread across multiple planets, a catastrophic assault by what is believed to be the Batallion about 120 years ago has driven them to the brink of extinction, now only inhabiting a small number of scattered outposts that were never intended for long term habitation. While they do not seek out fights, they always intend to finish them. Survivors to the bitter end.
History
The Years of Wandering (???- 721 BF)
For as long as the Jal’jin can remember, their species was a wandering one. The creatures of the deep they shared the planet with were hardly hospitable and not settling down for too long was the only way the Jal’jin would remain safe. There were, of course, attempts to buck this trend with mixed success. Be it Fjell Stjaralda, Alooilo’ele ta Hoh!jonou, or Il Marabir Atisdere, all had their legends of grand settlements brought to heel by terrifying creatures. Unlike many of Humanity’s legends of terrifying beasts, however, these were generally far closer to reality than one might be comfortable with.
Around 700 BF (Before Foundation), a treatise was written detailing theoretically methods one could hold the monsters at bay by Gyeang Sek Abbez; a reclusive scholar in the most remote areas of the Great Expanse. It required magic not yet realized, architecture never before seen, and weaponry only imagined. Amanni, realizing that this was not a dream that could be achieved alone, began a journey that would continue well after their own death.
For 21 years, Gyeang traveled the world, gathering followers who saw hope in their theories. Together, they would form the great pod known as the Fandor and forge the future of their entire species.
The Laying of Roots (721 BF - 0)
While there is plenty of history and conflict that occurred during this period, the fight to secure the area which would eventually become the planet’s capital was one that often drew the most attention by the Jal’jin as it was what enabled the Jal’jin to begin long term settlements.
The Fandor pod worked to secure a specific area within Fjell Stjaralda. Their interest in the area lay in the location where several islands were placed which not only gave them plenty of room above water to do delicate work that could not risk interruption but also as part of a massive ritual. When viewed from above, the islands, if connected, could form various points of a massive rune of power. The hope was that they could use this to jumpstart a dynamic force field at its center to keep predators out without restricting the flow of their own people and livestock.
The catch of this forcefield was, as the need for such a massive rune of power might suggest, the raw energy to create it. Once the field was created, it theoretically would not require a large amount of power to maintain. The trouble was getting the rune made. It was a battle against the creatures that stalked the water as well as the elements that would wear away at any lines created in the earth with anything but durable material.
Once that field was erected around the center most island, they could build around and into the island. The field’s size might have restricted how far they could spread out on the ocean floor, but that mattered little to them. In the end, they had a simple dream: Create the Spire. The beacon of their peoples’ future.
So, for just under 700 years, they toiled. First as simply the Fandor pod, but as other pods joined, they became the Seolập Uiviện, the prototype of what later became the Vời Uiviện of the modern age. While, for the longest time, they were seen as insane for remaining in one place for as long as they had, history would remember them differently.
There were many battles with the local wildlife that came close to claiming the collective and destroying the dream of the Spire. Then, one final great event pushed this collective to the edge of oblivion before succumbing to their efforts.
The Foundation (Year 0)
This event marked the year future generations would use as the axis point. Their focal point that would indicate a common era. According to preserved records, the collective had finally completed the rune of power. With its activation, their greatest minds were preparing the field they had waited generations to put up.
An unforeseen side effect of the rune, however, was that it would draw kitaaras from far and wide to their location. The fight to keep the creatures at bay as the field was erected went for a full 24 hours. It is said that some of the Jal’jin’s greatest warriors were reborn on that day and some of their greatest heroes fell. Bards would tell many stories of the defense of the site, children often sitting at the edge of their seats as they listened.
When the field went up, it was the first time they found ultimate superiority against the threats they faced every day. The creatures battered and bit against the field without any success. The Seolập looked on with shock as, no matter what was thrown at their creation, it remained at full strength. The planet which for so long had turned a blind eye to them had finally gifted them the ultimate weapon against the creatures that kept them running for so long: safety.
Thus, the first true sanctuary from the dangers of the planet was erected. The Foundation was set.
The First Breach (941 AF)
Portal technology could be pointed to as their answer to Humanity’s internal combustion engine as far as far reaching implications go. While shorter range portals between settlements had existed for quite some time, 941 was the first time a portal successfully opened to a distant planet. The process was extremely difficult to pull off and took years just to build up the necessary materials and raw arcane energy to initiate the link.
Of course, ironically, no Jal’jin dared set foot on the other side of the portal once it was established.
The portal opened to what would become named Xála Mển Amchdá and would not have a single Jal’jin set foot on it for many years to come as it was absolutely not habitable. Still, the planet had exotic chemicals and materials, which led to simple golems being sent out to harvest what they could.
This was extremely inefficient, but until a better solution could be found, no Jal’jin would survive being there.
The Error in Speech (1002 AF)
Another portal that was set up as a back-up in case the portal opened in 941 failed continued development until its completion in 1002. As the story goes, it opened to a semi-habitable planet and a team of Jal’jin went to the other side to explore. However, upon encountering intelligent life and even making contact with their leaders, a misunderstanding led the Jal’jin to flee for their lives.
While this was an extremely unfortunate venture and forced the team to close the portal to never see it open to that planet again, it wasn’t entirely without benefit. While there, the exploration team collected notes on how the locals created bio-domes for extremely sensitive plants they were growing. This eventually led to the first colony being built on Xála Mển Amchdá...though, given the nature of the planet and the fact that few Jal’jin could be convinced to move there freely, it was turned into the first prison colony the planet came to know.
The Distant Bond (1840 AF)
While some limited contact had been made with more primitive species, first contact with another decently advanced species occurred not long after a portal to a barely habitable planet was opened in 1839. The solar system, as it turned out, was inhabited by a species known as the Osyrathid. Ironically, the Seekers had deemed the dwarf planet they dubbed “ZAX-021” (temporary names such as this were not uncommon for planets not yet given long term colonization) to lack sufficient resources to justify long term habitation. Before leaving, however, first contact was made and, after the initial hurdle of establishing communication, an amicable relationship was born. The outpost was not constantly manned and was mainly only inhabited when a trade could be made. Both sides were hesitant to allow for cross-species colonization (both over concerns of unknown diseases as well as concerns born of cultural differences), but after more and more frequent trades of both material and cultural goods, there was more talk of at least placing long term emissaries in each species' respective capitals. Talks began around 1939, but ceased immediately a year later, leading the Osyrathid to be extremely concerned as to the Jal’jin’s disappearance. Perhaps they lost interest. Perhaps there was something else.
The Sundering (1940 AF)
This could very well have been the ultimate end of the species. There was no warning of invasion. When the Battalion came, there was very little time to react let alone gather information about their enemy. The planet’s skies were full of hostile space craft overnight. There were no attempts to make contact, not even to take prisoners. The invaders knew who the intelligent life on the planet was and, from their actions, made it clear they had a single intent: destroy the Jal’jin.
Ever aiming towards survival and the Vời Uiviện’s members largely missing or dead, the Yeomẫu made the ultimate decision that every leader fears to make. Flee not just their ancient homelands but the planet. The order was given to evacuate as many as possible to the Dark Water Outposts. Portals to outposts with allied sapient species were to be immediately closed to prevent the invaders from breaching them and leading to confusion to those on the other end. The message given was that this was to allow the front line warriors to focus on the invasion rather than protection, but this was simply a lie to keep the masses calm.
The Yeomẫu and her advisors knew all too well that there would be no returning.
Whenever the Battalion drew close to a portal depot, it was deactivated remotely from the central hub to prevent any from following. Families might have been separated and sacrificed in the process, but it was clear why this was done. The Jal’jin knew anything else would mean destruction. They had to survive.
However, it was not long until the invading forces began to finally put real strain on the Spire Field. The ancient safeguard from predators was prepared for much, but its failure was inevitable.
Soon, the capital was fully evacuated except for one small group of people: The remainder of the parliament and the Grand Matriarch. As the portal network was reliant on the central portals in the city, they were fully aware that if they were not destroyed, the sacrifices made to evacuate would be in vain. So, utilizing the talents of all present, they made the ultimate sacrifice.
They forced the central portal network and all portals in the Jeweled Waters to overload. This did not just forcibly disconnect all portals from one another, but caused catastrophic arcane abnormalities around every single portal in the Jeweled Waters. While the Jal’jin who failed to flee might have fallen and while they might have lost their home, they dealt a massive blow to the Battalion’s forces. It cost the Jal’jin almost everything, but, while fractured, could rebuild. Albeit far from home.
The Lost Years (1940 AF - 2000 AF)
To the survivors of the Sundering, the struggle had only just begun. The Dark Water Outposts were never intended to be cut off. Each had some aspect that would make life hell without the assistance of other settlements. With the destruction of the central portal network, they were stranded with no easy way of reconnecting.
While every outpost had someone with skills in portal technology, few had experts that could suss out how to reconnect to other outposts with little guidance from a central repository. For a full generation, there was no contact between the survivors. Only the knowledge that countless miles separated them.
It wasn’t until a breakthrough was made by magi on Sticlăhaba that the first portal re-connection was made to Xála Mển Amchdá. The two colonies were able to reconnect to Fossteni and Sals Mansa about a year later and, with their combined resources, were finally able to focus a little bit less on pure survival.
The Resurrection of Hope (2000 AF - Present)
From then onwards, the Jal’jin became focused on three things outside of survival: Improving standards of living, rediscovery of lost knowledge and technology, and reconnecting to other outposts. Over the next several years, while life has been generally difficult, they have managed to reassemble the shattered remains of what was once a minor galactic empire. When all was said and done, three generations of Jal’jin were left: Those around to see the Sundering happen, the young that the previous generation told stories to, and the generation those storied children raised.
Biology
Height
Male heights average from 5’0” to 5’5” while females tend to fall between 5’5” to 6’0”. This is not set in stone, however, and is often not the most reliable metric to differentiate the sexes.
Build/Weight
While their builds can vary just as much as humans, they tend to fall into one of three types (assuming good health and exercise): Extremely scrawny with lean muscle, bulky with big bones and powerful muscle, and something akin to humans albeit a bit heavier given their size due to differences in muscle type and strength.
Lifespan
Jal’jin have a very broad lifespan of 60 to 120 years based on the toxins they carry in their body.
Toxins
Jal’jin are naturally extremely toxic. Every single part of their body is poisonous to some degree and some Jal’jin even have fangs capable of injecting venom, spit glands that let them spray toxins from their mouth, and extra poison sacks in their body that allows them to hold more than one kind of toxin at one time with different toxins found in different parts of the body. What’s more, with changes to a Jal’jin’s diet and sufficient meditation, a Jal’jin can change what kind of toxin any one toxin generating part does. However, if this diet cannot be maintained, their toxin generation can become something else with very little control on the Jal’jin’s part.
While Jal’jin are heavily resistant to the toxins of another Jal’jin, this is not universal. Toxins that impact brain chemistry are generally the easiest to resist while toxins that directly attack the body’s flesh are the least likely to be resisted. This is, in large part, why physically touching one another among the Jal’jin outside of a simple hand-shake would be a sign of great affection and trust.
The major drawback to all of this is their lifespan. While a Jal’jin with gentle toxins can live upwards of 120 years, their lifespan generally falls closer to 100 starting at birth which shortens the more harsh their poisons are. This is because while their bodies are capable of handling harsh toxins, the more harsh a generated toxin gets the more of a strain it puts on the body. While a Jal’jin is immune to the effects of their own toxin, they are only heavily resistant to the toxins of other Jal’jin and moderately resistant to foreign toxins.
It is theorized that if a Jal’jin were to somehow change their natural toxin generation into something that revitalized the body instead of in some way harm it, they could theoretically push their lifespans well beyond 120 years. The exact amount is unknown.
Skin
The Jal’jin have a wide array of skin colors which follow one of two patterns. Either the skin color is a warm and bright color with bright highlights or it is a dark color (warm or cold) with bright high contrast highlights.
Their skin is very reminiscent of a whale with a smooth rubbery texture. While it is capable of maintaining moisture for extended periods of time out of the water, enough water will still evaporate that a Jal’jin can become dehydrated far quicker than a human.
Hair
If a Jal’jin has hair, it is very fine and pale in color which heavily resembles thin fiber optics. Some don't have hair at all while a select few instead sport fin like growths which serve a more decorative purpose.
Sex
Jal'jin all have primary and secondary female characteristics with both males and females capable of mothering children. Males are capable of both, although are significantly less efficient at it. Not unlike clownfish, a Jal'jin male's instinctual push to become a mother is often dictated by the presence of other females. While this can make identification between the two difficult, Jal'jin are capable of determining this based on instinct and pheromones. However, not only can birth control suppress the relevant pheromones that make this obvious, their their reliance on these subtle factors can make it extremely difficult for Jal'jin to quickly identify sexual dimorphism among other species, leading to not just awkward situations among their own kind but also to other species.
Breathing
They also have gills located on their necks effective at pulling water in (instead of out) with the resulting CO2 moving to their lungs to be exhaled (which allows for underwater communication). When out of the water, Jal’jin are capable of utilizing powerful muscles on their diaphragm to push water from their lungs to enable easier intake of oxygen (albeit not as efficiently as with their gills). They can breathe in both fresh and salt water but require fresh water to stay hydrated. Their respiratory system is not as good above water as it is below, but can be improved through regular use out of the water.
Eyes
Jal’jin have exceptional eyesight while underwater and can see just as easily in low light conditions as they would in optimal lighting conditions. However, when out of the water, their vision becomes slightly less effective than the human eye.
Ears
Jal’jin ears, instead of cartilage, are made of a hard keratin which can pick up soundwaves underwater and channel the vibrations into the inner ear. Its coloration can vary greatly, meaning it can match skin color or deviate completely. While their ears offer little advantage in terms of sound quality and sensitivity, their ears do enable them to be extremely effective at determining the precise direction a sound is coming from which can aid in fighting in complete darkness. While the ears are capable of regrowing should they become chipped or damaged, injury to their ears can be exceptionally painful.
Webbing
Jal’jin have several body parts geared towards aquatic movement. The first is that their feet are webbed and their fingers have retractable webbing which can be extended or retracted at will. They also have a fin at the center of their back that, like the webbing on their hand webbing, can be retracted down. With their webbing fully available, they can move at normal speeds of 6-8 mph and hustle at speeds up averaging at around 12 mph. Without any assistance, their land speed is 2.5 mph with a run speed of 6 mph.
Diet
Their diet is not very restricted thanks in large part to their background as opportunistic scavengers. While omnivorous, the Jal’jin tend to prefer fish meat and generally consider meat from land creatures far from shore to be a delicacy.
Mouth
While located similarly to a human, their mouths are capable of unhinging and/or simply opening a large degree, allowing them to bite down on objects significantly larger than they would otherwise. They cannot swallow objects this large, so this trait is generally only used for offensive attacks. Their teeth are numerous and pointed with serrated edges that are effective at tearing at flesh. If the Jal’jin has venomous fangs, they come in two pairs located around where canines are in humans.
Psychology
Gender
The Jal’jin don’t exactly have a concept of gender. While they have an understanding of masculine and feminine expression and words to express if someone prefers presenting masculine or feminine, they are far more loose with the idea of gender (ie: man/woman). Words used to explain one’s presentation is seen as more of a description and less of an integral part of their identity. To the Jal’jin, creating entire categories within society around gender would be as confusing and unnecessary as doing so for hair color or alcohol tolerance.
Sexuality
As sexual dimorphism is fairly limited in terms of appearance, Jal’jin are, more often than not, demiromantic and pansexual with less emphasis placed on attraction to masculinity or femininity. While there are certainly Jal’jin that are exclusively attracted to feminine or masculine traits, it is not the majority.
Tribalism
Jal’jin are not tribalistic in the same way that humans are. While they do have some behaviors that might bring to mind the classical strife found between groups of humans, these tend to be towards those outside of their own species. Amongst themselves, Jal’jin tend to naturally have great ease in working with one another regardless of if they are part of the same group or not. To highlight this, one need look no further than how they view sports. While a Jal’jin might pick a preferred team, they will generally find great joy in the outcome of the match regardless of who wins. This has resulted in very little bigotry among the Jal’jin towards innate characteristics, but some does still exist along religious grounds.
That’s not to say that they have no tribalistic conflict. If two differing ideas become irreconcilable, conflict can still arise and wars along tribal lines have occurred. However, as the Jal’jin naturally try to avoid conflict with their own kind whenever possible, turning against one another along these lines is generally a final resort. On the odd occasion it does happen, however, it is usually extremely brutal with the Jal’jin willing to take extreme measures to avoid loss.
This lack of tribal behaviors breaks down a little bit when engaging with other species, however. The Jal’jin will almost always put the survival of their own people as a whole before that of another regardless of the circumstances. Jal’jin are considered part of the “tribe” by default and have to do something to ostracize themselves whereas other species need to prove themselves every step of the way. This, of course, does lead to some racism when interacting with other species but more often than not it shows itself in the form of suspicion than that of superiority.
Conflict Resolution
When faced with conflict, the Jal’jin are prone to avoid turning to direct violence unless it is unavoidable. This is not to say that the Jal’jin are cowardly. In fact, as a whole, the species is known to be prepared to push back against even the most daunting and terrifying of threats. Their preference to view violence as a last resort likely comes from their evolutionary background of being surrounded by creatures that attempting a direct assault, even with large numbers, would be suicidal. If non-violent action cannot be helped, however, the Jal’jin are not known to hesitate if it means protecting their people or pod. What’s more, if forced to fight, they are not likely to accept surrender or show mercy unless they have good reason to. If they are to fall to an enemy, they will take as many of them as possible along for the ride.
Culture
Note: Nothing here is hard and fast. Just cultural trends.
Naming Conventions
The Jal’jin’s names can vary depending on where they are from (home or outpost systems), but they do all follow some commonalities. The last name is generally inherited from the first name of the mother with the name of the pod immediately after (ie: Kalalla Metrin Hekorls) with the names being referred to as your personal name, brood name, and pod name. It is considered extremely rude to refer to a Jal’jin exclusively by their pod name.
Languages
There are four dominant languages among the Jal’jin with some minor dialectic differences found in the outposts. Hyeocu: Literally translated to “Old Tongue , it is the language carried by the capital’s original settlers and has been maintained ever since. It is often used as a common language in academia, but is most commonly known as a secondary language. After the Sundering, it has become difficult to keep the language relevant and alive. It sounds similar to and shares some characteristics with Korean and Vietnamese. Alooian: The language spoken in Alooilo and almost exclusively by those from this region. While it is an extremely versatile language, it is extremely difficult to learn and speak given the liberal use of clicks and other less obvious sounds peppered throughout. It is similar to Hawaiian with elements found in other languages that use a variety of sounds like Taa. Himnari: Generally spoken in Fjell Stjaralda, legend goes that the language was born from translating the way stars reflected off of the ocean’s surface. It was not uncommon for people to pick this up as a second language in lue of Hyeocu as it is somewhat easier to learn and is also widely spoken within the city. Hyeocu native speakers often begrudged the fact that Himnari was encroaching on their efforts to preserve their language. It contains similarities to old norse and other Northern European languages. Cuvstru: The native tongue of the travelers within Atisdere, it is sometimes called the trader’s tongue as many words of the language are used to communicate for trading. While not difficult to learn, the lack of any solid cities to develop a cultural center made the language only spread via their need to trade with outsiders. Has elements of Romanian and Arabic.
Clothing
Traditionally, the Jal’jin only wear what is needed for their environment and see anything additional as purely aesthetic. Clothing intended to be worn underwater exclusively tends to be very form fitting with vital areas covered regardless of how much (or little) is actually worn. Clothing intended for above the water follows similar trends except with the cloth being loose fitting and free. Clothing intended for either above or below water tends to favor underwater utility before above water utility.
In terms of colors and accessories, the Jal’jin tend to enjoy wearing very bright or striking clothing with accessories unlikely to get in the way should they be submerged. If a Jal’jin is living somewhere where water is more scarce, they will often carry one or more bladders of water to ensure hydration.
Family
Jal’jin will group together to form pods, although not everyone in the pod is necessarily related by blood. It is a group made up of those all within the pod trusts. As all within the pod must have trust in one another, pods generally are at most 12 people. While a Jal’jin can belong to multiple pods, few ever claim membership of more than two. A pod is responsible for raising any children born by a pod member with their parents having the final say on important decisions regarding said child.
Relationships
Jal’jin society promotes the idea of separating those you love and those you wish to sire your children as far as concepts goes. While you might love someone with all of your heart, you might not desire for them to sire or carry your children. As such, any that a Jal’jin has found love with companionship is called their “bond”. Anyone that a Jal’jin has (mutually) designated as someone to sire/carry their children is called a “mate”. If a Jal’jin feels comfortable having multiple partners outside of a relationship, they are generally not called a “bond” or “mate” as these are seen as being extremely important designations to be given.
Outside of close ties like those, one important note is physical touch. As it is impossible to know how toxic another Jal’jin is, their society places a great deal of suspicion on unnecessary physical touch (especially with skin to skin contact). As such, physical touch done for the purpose of expressing affection is seen as a huge sign of trust and not something done casually.
Leisure
The Jal’jin’s interests are just as wide and varied as what can be found among Humans.
Government
Once there are enough pods staying together for communication to become difficult, they will elect a steward (The exact name can differ between cultures) from each pod that helps voice any concerns the pod might have. This collective of Pods is called house. When two houses need to coordinate, one or two stewards is selected from each to act as representatives. This behavior is almost instinctual among the Jal’jin, though small variations in implementation of this practice do occur.
Cities were traditionally only formed when several houses were able to get together, agree upon an alliance, and pool enough resources and manpower together to secure a stationary location. Due to the volatile nature of their home planet and the fauna on it, these locations were effectively strongholds. Each house would have a representative to serve as a speaker with the parliament run by a matriarch who’s proper name differs depending on the culture (Called a Yamẫu in Hyeocu). The means each parliament has been run has differed far more greatly than houses and pods. The matriarch would serve until they were voted out or death claimed them.
In more recent memory, as the entirety of the home planet became accessible and parliaments required easier communication, Vời Uiviện (Great Parliament) was formed made up of representatives of each local parliament (usually their matriarch) with a Yeomẫu (Great Matriarch) decided upon by voting from the most magically in tune representatives. The Yeomẫu would serve until voted out or death. There has never been a Yeomẫu that held onto their position after being voted out. This is because, as the only alternative is death, the inevitable conclusion made such an action more suicidal than a power play. It was the role of the Yeomẫu to be a “second voice of reason” to conflicts within the society, offering an opposing view for discussion to ensure all avenues of thought had been examined. It was also their role to serve as a deciding vote, should something of importance be required.
After the Sundering, given the drastically different needs of the Dark Water outposts, instead of a Matriarch (great or otherwise), there is instead what has been declared a “Navigator” who’s express purpose is to run logistics and ensure resources are properly allocated. It was ultimately decided that, so long as they did not interfere with their strained supply chain, all governance decisions should be kept at a local level. Many are hopeful that, one day, once their society becomes stable once again, they can return to the old ways.
Conflicts
While not prone to tribalism, the Jal’jin have never been immune to some things that humans would find all too familiar. After many generations of vying for control, some outside of the most dogmatic of circles viewed the Yeomẫu as an almost bastardized position. Even if it was necessary, the same familial lines seemed to crop up in the highest positions of power including the Matriarch themself. This, over time, has led the more dogmatic followers of Oaxaism to view some of these families as a whole to be blessed by God and almost beyond reproach. In contrast, this also gave birth to a growing movement of Jal’jin that wished to push for a new method of government for their highest offices, but this was cut short by the Sundering.
Fears of what humans would consider traditional technology was also not uncommon. While magic was understood, complex mechanics and chemistry (sans alchemy) was far less understood and was seen as objectively a dangerous practice. Those who studied these subjects were sometimes accused of bastardizing the natural order and were treated much like how humans treated accused witches in ancient times. Ironically, the mechanists hidden amongst the many were later embraced in the Dark Water colonies after the Sundering as their skills were not impacted by planets with low levels of natural magic.
Notable Occupations
Silver Gauntlet
“We few, we elite, were once exclusively the guardians of the highest order. No person nor beast would dare cross our blades for we were the ones trusted to secure our society. If we fell, our government would fall and society soon after. Or so we thought. Now we guard what remains and all that entails.”
These elite warriors were the best of the best as far as the Vời Uiviện was concerned. These Jal’jin were trained to be the ultimate instrument of the Vời Uiviện’s will and rarely disappointed. The Silver Gauntlets lived to serve in their role and almost universally did not just take it seriously but also viewed it as their ultimate calling. Whenever a catastrophic event took place or a great threat arose, it was the Silver Gauntlets that were deployed to bring peace. Likewise, whenever a threat arose against the capital, it was the Silver Gauntlets that led the defense. Many warriors of legends were said to have been a Silver Gauntlet or have known one personally.
They are not just masters in martial combat, but are also highly proficient in other skills to give each their own personal specialty in addition to simply being a warrior. While a Silver Gauntlet might not be as skilled in something as someone who took the time to hone their craft as much as a Silver Gauntlet trains, the additional skills each possesses is enough to make them versatile operators in their own right.
The Sundering, of course, took a massive toll on their number. Initially tasked with fighting off the invaders, their ranks took heavy blows before the call to retreat was made. They led as many civilians as possible to portals for evacuation, but that was what doomed even more to oblivion. They were, more often than not, the last to enter the portals. With such little warning given to the portal network’s destruction, many were left behind.
Those remaining, especially in Fossteni, were eager to pass their skills and knowledge onto not just interested refugees but especially onto the new generation. After all, they were no longer simply protecting the Vời Uiviện. Now, they were tasked with safeguarding their species.
“Do you know how busy this life is? We don’t get the pomp and circumstance that the Yeomẫus had. Respect, sure, but we don’t have time for luxury. We might be glorified accountants with a skill in resource management, but we’re the glue holding everything together.”
When the Sundering occurred, the outposts were left wavering. None of the Dark Water outposts that survived were designed to be entirely self-sustainable and were reliant on the Jeweled Waters and other outposts to maintain a healthy balance.
That’s when the duty of the Navigator was born. These Jal’jin took on the role of monitoring resources, managing troop movement, and generally looking to secure a future for those around them. Those that originally took on the job were accountants, farmers, retired generals, anyone that had a good grasp of numbers and maintaining a good supply chain.
Eventually, the role of the Navigator merged with that of the outpost Yamẫu with the latter role being phased out. While local stewards continued to advocate for their people, the Navigator and their assistants had one job: ensure survival. While the names of the navigator differed between outposts, the name of Navigator as coined by those of Sals Mansa stuck.
Given the difficult and high stress life of a Navigator, retirement from the role was not at all uncommon. However, those that were once Navigators took with them experience that would make them invaluable for managing day to day life in smaller communities and were generally seen as a major boon to anywhere they moved.
Akazaha Bard
“Creativity is an omnipresent force. It exists in all creatures and bleeds from every tree and rock. One need not crack open a dusty old tome to discover the magic in the world. You simply need to open your eyes, listen to the sea, and sing.”
While mundane bards exist among the Jal’jin, a unique type of bard known as Akazaha Bards aren’t just performers; they are also spell casters. Instead of relying exclusively on incantations or runes, Akazaha Bards instead pull upon the Akazaha Resonance - a force that is born not just from magical energy but also, as they say, from creativity and beauty. In order to pull from the Akazaha Resonance, Akazaha Bards do exactly what the name implies: perform. Music, story telling, dancing, drawing, and more. It is a class of magical caster entirely born from creativity and talent.
On the one hand, bards do not seem to have any advantage when casting in an environment thick with magical energy and will never reach the same insane peaks a skilled mage could achieve with proper incantation and ritual. They are more limited in what spells they can cast than a mage due in large part to the fact that Akazaha does not work flawlessly with all forms of spells.
On the other hand, while a magic devoid environment might prevent them from casting spells as a normal caster might, the only thing that can prevent an Akazaha Bard from pulling upon Akazaha resonance are spells or areas that exhibit powerful generalized magic blocking. Their ability to pull from resonance instead of more arcane sources also enables particularly skilled Akazaha bards to cast spells without any visual indication; meaning what would normally require some form of incantation or gestures could be done with merely a thought.
Most notably, of course, are the magical performances an Akazaha bard can produce. These are performances that, when conducted, produce spell-like effects for their entire duration and sometimes even some time after. These bards can often be seen on the front lines, bringing forth song not just to inspire their comrades but also to bolster their allies and actually demoralize the enemy with negative effects.
While some might scoff at the idea of an army of musicians posing much of a threat, few with knowledge of what the Akazaha Bard is capable of would not quake at the sight of a choir of bards ready to unleash their fury with song.
Seeker
“I have seen things that no other Jal’jin has. Planets so dangerous that colonization was never attempted. Beautiful, horrible things. Such wonders that I cannot even begin to describe. And you know what? I loved every second of it.”
The role of the Seeker is one that has been with the Jal’jin is practically timeless. In ancient times, Seekers were responsible for scouting ahead of caravans to ensure areas were safe and locate new grazing locations. They were the brave souls willing to dive into uncharted waters to secure resources for their traveling pods. Upon the creation of stationary cities, Seekers began to be used not just for resources but as a means of monitoring the activity of the ocean’s dangerous fauna. It wasn’t until the advent of their long range portal technology that the Seekers truly became what they are known for today.
When a new planet was charted and linked to, Seekers were the ones sent to examine the planet. They were the ones that determined if the planet was safe, what sort of wildlife existed there, what kind of resources were present, and if a diplomatic team needed to be sent out to speak to natives (rare as that might have been). Each Seeker often had their own specialties, but they were known to pick up many skills to make exploration as safe and useful as possible. Some such as survival, mountaineering, and combat skills are obvious picks, but many also picked up geology, meteorology, and more. Whatever was necessary to bring back as much useful data as possible.
The Sundering made the seekers among the most valuable assets possible. With such hostile planets, Seekers were the best equipped to leave the safety of the established safe areas and into more dangerous waters. They located food, marked resources for collection, and more. It’s one of the more dangerous occupations, but those that do it are often fine with that. The call of the unknown is an ever present temptress.
Domesticated Animals
Much like humans, the Jal’jin have domesticated many animals to assist with daily life. Some for combat, some for companionship. While not all of the species of animal they domesticated are still with us, many survived the sundering along with their masters and were even instrumental in the Jal’jin’s continued survival..
Trygdýr
These fearsome carnivorous beasts are luke-warm blooded reptiles that are not unlike crocodiles in appearance. Unlike crocodiles, these creatures have snouts that end in a point, longer limbs, and range in size from an American Alligator to a Great Dane. Their scales tend to be muted muddy colors with jagged lines covering their whole body. This more generic appearance varies by breed.
Trygdýr are believed to have been the first animal domesticated by the Jal’jin and not in a dissimilar manner from how Humans are believed to domesticate wolves. It started with Trygdýrx following caravans of Jal’jin in hopes of getting to piggyback off of a large hunt and eventually more amicable Trygdýr became companions.
They underwent thousands of years of selective breeding to achieve a large number of tasks, leading to a large number of breeds that are about as varied as dogs. While domesticated, they can be difficult to manage and would be seen by a human to be a terrible if not dangerous pet. The Jal’jin don’t seem to mind, though.
Păianawr
These large lumbering creatures resemble Earth’s water buffalos, albeit with six legs, four horns, and between two to eight eyes. Their fur tends to be varying shades of gray or black and their mouths are full of blunt, thick teeth that aid in their quest to eat just about everything put in front of them. This is heavily aided by their complex digestive system that effectively turns them into garbage disposals.
These creatures are not actually native to any planet the Jal’jin ever controlled. Instead, they were animals native to the planet of one of the few alien trading partners the Jal’jin had before the Sundering: the Osyrathid. Previously called Qwatassi by the Osyrathid, the Marabiri that first encountered them started to call them Păianawr which in of itself loosely translates to spider-bull. While the Păianawr are most at home in the water, they are not very capable of traveling underwater. Their mobility in water was still of interest to many Jal’jin, but their ability out of the water and carrying capacity is what led to their wide adoption for Jal’jin living on planets requiring more land based travel.
Lungbai
The Lungbai are not pleasant to look at. Put simply, they are leech-like creatures that are as long as two cows with one put in front of the other. The Lungbai only serve one purpose: to feed the Jal’jin. Their bodies are capable of extreme levels of regeneration, allowing their flesh to be harvested without actually killing them. Extremely skilled ranchers can even harvest parts or entire organs of the Lungbai without killing them. While many might wretch at the idea of eating an oversized leech, the Jal’jin are more than happy to chow down.
The obvious downside is, of course, blood. The Lungbai, much like the leeches they resemble, only feed on blood. While they don’t eat a lot when sedentary, their blood intake increases as they are forced to become mobile and more so when they need to regenerate flesh. Nothing comes free. While synthetic blood made by alchemists is an acceptable substitute, you need to be able to actually gather the ingredients and make them. This is generally less effective than simply catching wild animals and feeding them to the Lungbai. Synthetic blood created via alchemy can also actually lead to long term health defects such as slower or even malformed regenerated parts.
Religion
Eumselonga của Chúa
It is often said among the Jal’jin that magic is something of a universal constant. The rules to access it might differ, but there was always a method to the madness. The flow of the supernatural. No, not supernatural. Simply natural. According to followers of Eumselonga của Chúa, even what some might call natural processes are in fact rooted in the universal constant of magical energies.
This provides order. An understanding of how the universe works. But it is without a voice. One cannot speak to such power without a translator. That is where the Yeomẫu comes in. While the position was not created to take on a religious connotation, the idea that the Yeomẫu was a channel for the universal constant of magic grew until she came to become what amounts to their Pope. The Yeomẫu has not always embraced this expectation, but the followers of Eumselonga của Chúa have never cared. She would be the voice of magic no matter her desires.
Eumselonga của Chúa places a great deal of importance on order, honor, law, and the survival of the Jal’jin over all others. Followers also tend to be the most hostile to advanced technology.
Vocheasawt
If one spends long enough living beneath the waves, you will inevitably feel the water’s pull. It is not a demand. Perhaps a strong suggestion, but the ocean’s natural state is not one of force. Where the Eumselonga của Chúa has a single figurehead they look to for guidance, the Vocheasawt has many. The seasons are gods, the cycles of the currents they bring their children. Their children bring forth Jal’jin not just skilled in reading their messages but also the waves themselves. These few are called the Wahycol and are chosen not by vote but by nature itself.
While those fully recognized as Wahycol rarely contradict one another and give surprisingly accurate readings and predictions, skeptics place their abilities in simple precognition and other similar disciplines. Regardless, they hold firm that whatever form the messages might take, it is coming from the holy currents of the planet they reside on.
Vocheasawt places a great deal of importance on cycles, tradition, transitions, order, and nature. Unsurprisingly, there are few followers of this religion that would willingly reside somewhere without large enough bodies of water to have currents.
Enda Lónlist/Mel’mauloa
Enda Lónlist (or Mel’mauloa for Alooian native speakers) is relatively new among the more popular religions of the Jal’jin and, not unlike religions born in the modern era, is often looked at with curiosity, suspicion, ridicule, and/or anger. It was born from the minds of Akazaha Bards who found that the flow of what they tapped into was far too removed from anything other religions could explain. It was more than simply a new form of occult magic to be tapped into. Instead, it was believed that they were tapping into something far more primal. The very idea of creativity itself. The Resonance wasn’t just an energy source, but something far more sacred.
Followers dedicate themselves to a craft and fully embrace it to their very core. They have no gods. No figureheads. Simply agreements on core beliefs implied by the Resonance. Creativity lies in all things, all things brim with Resonance, entropy is born from the death of creativity.
Enda Lónlist places a great deal of importance on the arts, creativity, culture, xenophilia, and self potential. The lack of any focus on order or tradition has made it something of a black sheep and followers would be looked at not unlike how some look at those who call themselves Anarchists on Earth (regardless of what their political affiliation might be).
Technology
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” -Arthur C. Clark
The Jal’jin would not consider themselves to have a complicated relationship with technology, but Humans would certainly think so. Given the arcane rich nature of their home planet, the Jal’jin were quick to take to utilizing it once it was discovered. While their grasp of complex mechanics and engineering might be limited, their utilization of magic makes the standard of living for them not unlike what could be found on Earth. Many technologies Humans have and understand are made and controlled with a variety of spells and illusions. While there are some deficiencies in regards to what they can do, they also have several strengths that cannot be ignored.
Technological Deficiencies
As far as complex engineering and mechanics are concerned, the Jal’jin are supremely behind Humanity. If one were to completely remove magic from the equation, the capabilities of the Jal’jin would only reach that of Pre-Industrial Europe if that. Activating a device that suppresses magic would be as devastating to them as detonating an EMP on Earth. As breaking into technology more familiar to Humans is more than often seen as a tampering of the natural order, it took the catastrophe of the Sundering to force prejudices aside. Advances in engineering akin to the industrial revolution are being made in Gray Wave Reef, but even with assistance from outside forces, it will be some time before the general population of Jal’jin catch up.
Technological Strengths
While there are certainly individuals and groups of Humans that could rival the Jal’jin’s understanding of magic, the species as a whole has at the very least a basic understanding of magic and, with the exception of those that have lived exclusively in Fossteni, can cast at least several basic spells. Most Jal’jin can repair basic functionality in most of their equipment and machinery, leading to a race made up of what amounts to hobbyist engineers (for their own stuff at least).
Their technology as a whole also either produces very few waste products harmful to the environment or produces waste that can be utilized in the production of other projects. While some manufacturing processes can produce excessive amounts of waste, this is usually done as a means of producing far more product with far fewer materials with the waste product being the cost of the increased quantity of output. This more wasteful production is also exclusively done far away from anywhere it could do damage (Gray Water Reef for example).
Examples of Tech
Below are a few examples of what they have accomplished utilizing magic.
Transportation
While land transportation is, unsurprisingly, not nearly as heavily invested in, the Jal’jin don’t rely on internal combustion engines like Humans do. Instead, they generate motion via what they call an arcane reaction engine. The engine’s interior contains a chamber that holds a material called cannite which spins in place when put into contact with an alchemical mixture called [NAME]. The force of the spin depends on the amount of [NAME] added, which allows their vehicles to alternate speeds depending on the driver’s foot press. The spinning [name] generates a level of arcane energy depending on its speed which can be moved throughout the vehicle’s components, allowing for not just motion but also utility such as a radio.
While the actual use of the arcane reaction engine is very clean and produces effectively no pollution, the creation of [NAME] is anything but. The alchemical process used to make it produces a large number of toxic gases that could cause catastrophic damage to the environment should an accident occur. It is for this reason that geographically sheltered areas of their home planet were originally used to create the mixture and, later, an entire planet (Gray Water Reef) was colonized to specialize in its creation. After the Sundering, these engines have become extremely difficult to produce due to their limited remaining infrastructure.
Computers
Jal’jin do have computers, but they operate utilizing a technology that loosely translates to “Suspended Thought.” Each computer is a construct that is effectively a mind suspended within the machine. The mind itself is not truly conscious or aware and, unless heavily customized, is incapable of ever developing a mind of its own.
Portal Technology
Portal technology is among the best researched field among the Jal’jin in large part to how they played a part in their expansion. These portals operate much like a network and require extensive knowledge of both ends of the portal in order to make it capable of round trips. While this can be a hazardous process where any failure could result in catastrophe, the utilization of a centralized portal network can relieve this by acting as the logic and nervous system for all other connected portals.
If a round trip is not required, little is needed to target a location to deploy passengers to the end point. This factor allowed the Jal’jin to colonize distant planets without ever setting a foot in space.
What’s more, the method utilized to generate the portals creates very little waste energy which makes the portals difficult to detect. While there are methods to prevent a one way portal from being opened within a location, a portal set up on the other side of those countermeasures tends to trump them completely.
Possibly, best of all, the environment on the other end of the portal can be assessed before the portal is fully opened. Hazards and threats on the other side of a portal can be assessed without an exploration team, allowing for locations like Gray Water Reef to be accessed safely by a properly prepared exploratory force.
The end result is a highly secure portal network that is capable of working even in the presence of teleportation suppression (if the portal has two ends) and can exist covertly.
The major caveat, of course, is that all of this presumes you have a centralized portal network. Without the costly infrastructure necessary to remove the risks associated with moving between portals. If you only have standard portals forming a network, most safeguards are removed, forcing Jal’jin to rely on technicians and pilots to move people between portals with something akin to a small train. This is the current position the Dark Water outposts are in.
Credits, Notes, and permissions
This was all/mostly dreamed up by @McSpazz and built up over several months of writing. If you have any ideas of other things to add to the species or even create your own Jal'jin, please let me know! I made this as detailed as I could to try and allow other people to play with the concept as well. If you have ideas on how to better format this page, please, feel free to have at it (so long as you aren't removing information. If you want to add a substantial new aspect to the Jal'jin lore, you are welcome to! Just know that I might not consider it entirely "cannon" unless you run it by me first.