The History of the Sovices
SpoilerThe creatures originate on a planet approximately 50% larger than Einderseod over 200 light-years away known by its inhabitants as Jannah. The people of Jannah were extremely scientific, mastering the academies of science, mathematics, arcana and divine magics, and incarnum, to an extent not yet seen on many other worlds, Einderseod included. These people were called the Janni.
On Jannah, a girl was born during the 3000th recorded year who was named Angstrom. She was an extremely gifted young girl with a passion for artificial intelligence. After 16 years of work, she managed to create the first, fully functional, artificial intelligence. Not long afterwards, her artificial intelligences were in population all across the planet.
But, in her obsessiveness, Angstrom had neglected to receive a childhood inoculation against a rather potent disease, called Kallmann Syndrome, which resulted in her reduced ability to smell, as well as her infertility. As a result, in her later years, she began longing for a child to hold in her arms and nurture. But unlike many women in her condition, she knew how to solve the problem.
She set to work over the next few years at building a new android, with some of the physical features of herself and some of her most valued colleagues and idols (More the former than the latter). On the last day, she brought the creation to life, and her new daughter was fully functional, the android was christened: Meter.
As the robotic daughter of the world’s greatest scientist, Meter was easily expected for great things. She quickly showed incredible aptitude in construct creation and arcane magic. However, because Angstrom was always busy on one project or another, and the media managed to prevent her from ever developing any meaningful relationships, Meter quickly grew to be very lonely and often became extremely bored as well.
To combat this boredom, Meter developed a new model of construct. One built entirely from tiny blocks each with their own neural pathways, a thinking block. The blocks were able to emit a magnetic field that drew other such blocks toward it, allowing it to amalgamate into a useful form, generally insectile in nature. Meter rejoiced in her new creations, but as they appeared more and more in the media the Janni came to fear them, and eventually they issued a proclamation to Angstrom to deactivate Meter and destroy her toys.
Though her mother adamantly protected her, Meter was soon under fire from all sides, and ordered her toys to protect her. They did so, but eventually they were forced to attack, and the Janni were soon wiped out, along with Angstrom, and Meter was quickly left alone on Jannah with only her rapidly multiplying toys for company. Dismayed, unequally lonely, and with no way to recharge herself, Meter soon ran out of power after a number of decades alone on the planet. Her toys continued to multiply, devouring the materials present on the planet until nothing but a dusty wasteland remained. Unable to leave the atmosphere, they too were soon left to wait.
Prior to their ‘sleep’ state, the toys devoured all technology on Jannah, and as a result achieved a state of technological advancement unseen and heard of in any other part of the universe. Using the four Dyson Spheres originally created by the Janni, the toys developed a trio of ‘machine gods’, which they entitled collectively the DUMCHN 35414. The trio possessed authority amongst the toys superior to any other toy and subordinate only to Meter herself. The trio were known individually as KLR 43154, MPH-RN 3374, and VDDRN 01460. They terrorised a large part of the local galaxy, becoming known by different names. KLR 43154 was known then as Kaelis Ra (“The Nightbringer”), MPH-RN 3374 was known as Mephet’ran (“The Deceiver”), and the most powerful (Using 2 of the Dyson Spheres) was Void Dragon (“Elegance”). However, not long after the activity of the toys was suspended, the stars powering the gods faltered due to solar flares, and no toys were available to repair them, therefore the bodies of the gods fell into inactivity. Most drifted through space before impacting some stellar body, and after many years their locations are all a mystery even to the toys. They are still hailed as gods amongst the toys.
After 236 years of isolation, Jannah was struck by a large meteorite and several large chunks of it were flung off into space, carrying with them mass amounts of the toys, and 1 inactive android girl. Eventually, after a further 100 years in space, one chunk landed in the ocean of Einderseod (After crashing through an airborne ship known as the Black Cardinal) and the toys were quickly put to work devouring the materials on the new planet. Not long afterwards, the android was discovered by a gnome submarine known as the Eskopash, examining the crash site, and was recovered by the Dead-Nick Squad and reactivated.
After being reactivated, Meter quickly expressed a desire to explore the outside world, in order to escape the world with her toys before the people of Einderseod turned against her. However, she had an argument with the Dead-Nick Squad and made one of her toys as a sign of good will, and was immediately attacked en masse. She caused great destruction inside the headquarters, but was eventually deactivated and heavily damaged. Her toys were later eliminated, but not before leaving an irreparable mark on the history of the planet.
To the people of Einderseod, her toys were better known, as the Sovices
Timeline (Incomplete)
J-1280 = The Dark Space war begins
J-1297 = The 51st Legion of the Anti-Technology factions vanishes without trace in a blizzard in the Southern hemisphere. Despite vehement searching, no traces of the 10,000 soldiers are found
J-1310 = The Dark Space War ends. It is decided that the UCN will cease displaying the names of contributors, to prevent the popularity of individuals influencing voting results
J-1373 = Engineer Inzstila develops the first Jannic Ion Drive, it is used in the first Jannic device to achieve space flight, the Astra
J-1435 = The frozen mummified remains of Animut and Ensim are discovered in the Southern hemisphere. They spend the next 4 years under examination, and are eventually delegated for display in the South Jannah Museum of Engineering Art
J-2982 = A climate shift unearths remains later revealed to be part of the missing 51st Legion, lost during the Dark Space war, still standing upright and in apparent motion at the time of their deaths. Conspiracy theories thrive over what happened to the remaining 9,800 soldiers of the Lost Legion
J-3000 = Angstrom is born
J-3009 = Due to a dual-planetary collision in the neighbouring Locton star system, the Jannah planetary shielding is left active for 79 hours in what the media later dubs the "Locton Meteor Blackout", because of the mass blackouts resultant from the energy usage
J-3034 = First artificial intelligence created by Angstrom
J-3037 = Meter first activated
J-3046 = Meter creates the first Sovices
J-3046.7 = The first FTL drive test results in the explosive death of pilot Inzaul and the drive itself
J-3047.2 = Angstrom ordered to deactivate Meter and destroy the Sovices
J-3047.3 = Sovices launch attack. Angstrom killed. Jannah extinct
J-3104 = Meter runs out of power and deactivates after attempting to circumnavigate the planet alone, it is thought she did this to deliberately eliminate her remaining power reserves
J-3115 = KLR 43154 first activated using the power from Dyson Sphere 3
J-3117 = MPH-RN 3374 first activated using the power from Dyson Sphere 4
J-3119 = UCL 13 created by MPH-RN 3374 to develop new Sovice designs
J-3120 = Sovices engage Genasi homeworld. Genasi wiped out after 3 days. UCL 13 betrays the Sovices and narrowly evades destruction by KLR 43154
J-3124 = VDDN 01460 first activated using the power from Dyson Spheres 1 & 2
J-3134 = Sovices deactivate due to lack of material for consumption
J-3136 = Dyson Spheres damaged by solar flares. DUMCHN 35414 deactivate
J-3372 = Jannah strafed by meteorite. Chunks fly off into space carrying over 8 million Sovices and Meter.
UCL 13 – The Traitor
UCL 13 began as a project by MPH-RN to allow the Sovices limited creativity during the absence of the god machines, that they might pursue other projects without the constant worry of what the Sovices were doing. So, they created Bion unit UCL 13, possessing Janni-like sentience and intelligence and set him to the task of designing new Sovice models. Meanwhile, the god machines went about attacking nearby planets, including the Genasi.
However, eventually UCL 13 began to grow tired and bored of his lot in simulated life. He designed the Photonic Cannon, the entire Damin ship class, and the Pylon String Network, but nothing really challenged him anymore, he wanted to be more important. And so, he used the Omnigate system and travelled to Jenas, home of the Genasi. There, he divulged the vulnerability of the Universal Ion Drive when supplanted with infinite energy, as well as the level of destruction required to force blocks to become inert. As a result, the Genasi began gradually gaining a tactical advantage over the Sovices, and in the third year of the Sovice siege, KLR 43154 successfully destroyed Jenas. It was now that he turned his attention to UCL 13.
Swathed in blackened, rotted robes, it pushed itself clear of the tomb, the solid stone unravelling atom by atom and reshaping itself in a swirling black shroud. More and more of the stone disintegrated to form the concealing darkness of the Night Bringer. Soon all that was left was the slab of the tomb with the final piece of the metal burning brightly in its surface. UCL 13 the Absconder had a barely-perceived vision of a gaunt, mouldering face with twin pits of yellow glowing weakly from within. There was insanity and a raging, unquenchable thirst for suffering in those eyes. A cloak of ghostly darkness hid its true form, a pair of rotted, bandage-swathed arms, all that penetrated its nebulous outline. One limb ended in long, grave-dirt encrusted talons, the other in what appeared to be a huge blade of unnatural darkness, angled like a vast scythe. As the god machine rose to its full height, UCL 13 saw that it towered above the mortals beneath it; swirling eddies of darkness at its base snaking around the bodies of those not quick enough to escape its grasp. The cloak of darkness swept two of the organic warriors up. The scythe arm flashed, passing through their armour and bodies with ease, and their withered corpses dropped, no more than shrivelled sacks of bone. KLR 43154 then turned its eyes upon the RR 74170, and the world of UCL 13 drew black.
UCL 13 drew to his aid a passing Sovice ship, Kael 92796, and quickly gave chase away from the god machine. He would not run far, as he was quickly cornered near a black hole. UCL 13's spells were drawing empty, and his Trans-Planar Generator was flickering in and out of use due to the interference handed down by KLR's presence. UCL 13 retreated momentarily into the disk of the black hole, taking severe damage to the hull of his ship, and KLR moved to pursue him. However, at the last moment, just before he would begin experiencing time dilation, UCL 13 supercharged his Ion Drive with the energies of the black hole and those of his own Chain Lightning and Trans-Planar Generator, and flung himself far from the black hole, to a place that KLR could not perceive using technology stolen from the Genasi.
He has never been heard from since.
The Janni
SpoilerHistory – The Janni evolved from two distinct species existing on their home planet, Jannah. These two species were known as Sekesalin (“Quad Snake”, a large reptilian lizard) and Hes’t Nosorog (“Tundran Nosorog”, a huge mammalian mammoth-like creature with a distinctive facial horn), and their contrasting reptilian-mammalian physiologies were what produced the hybrid state of the Janni. The original crossbreeds were similar to Einderseod hominids, and a dead-end species existed as a cousin to the Janni in the form of the Tektak Spruss (“Cross Hair”). The Janni were not entirely certain precisely of the mechanism that allowed the Quad Snake and Tundran Nosorog species to interbreed naturally, but they were able to trace their ancestry back to the very first pairing, which they named Ensim (The Nosorog, female) and Animut (The Quad Snake, male). They were not the only pairing; else the gene pool would have been insufficient to form a species, however they are decidedly known as the very first. In modern times, the Quad Snakes and Tundran Nosorogs are natural enemies, who survive in opposing environments (Quad Snakes in desert, Tundran Nosorogs in tundra), and the pairing between Ensim and Animut has been romanticised as a result, taking on a form similar to Earth’s Romeo and Juliet, they are popular in stories, myths, and legends, where they encounter many obstacles on the path to the first Cross Hairs. Their mummified remains were found lying beside each other in the Southern hemisphere on [51][07][1435], they were believed to have begun interbreeding in or near the hemisphere. Extensive testing was carried out on the remains and they were ultimately placed on display in the South Jannah Museum of Engineering Art, where they remain even after the extinction of the Janni.
At the time of their destruction, the Janni were a Type II civilisation according to the Kardashev Scale. They had used the technology of the Sovices to construct Dyson Spheres encompassing 4 nearby stars, hence their classification, and were using artificial intelligence in virtually all parts of their daily life. Since much of these AI were based on Angstrom's original creations, this would prove to be a major disadvantage given their reluctance to go against anything their mother spawned.
Much of Janni technology was extremely powerful but highly simplistic. Their ships were composed of a single primary hull design that was then added on to with smaller components to create the full design; the hull composed the majority of systems itself and provided extreme protection against stellar phenomenon via a deep physical barrier. To give an Earth-based comparison, most of their ships would resemble Baleen Whales. Rings, dots and stripes, as hinted at in their physiology, also were commonplace in their technological designs.
Their planet, Jannah, was formed from a single mass (Unlike Earth, which was formed from a proto-Earth and a second body, Thea, which also composes the Moon), and spent roughly 40 billion years in development before the Janni species first appeared. The integration of reptilian cold-bloodedness and mammalian warm-bloodedness, would lead one to conclude that Jannah was at some point a turbulent place of rapid climate change, and this would be correct. The Janni survived primarily in the equator of Jannah, where the climate maintained a somewhat equal temperature compared to the rest of the planet, but still enjoyed extended periods of hot and cold weather. As such, the Janni progenitor species (Think a mix between Woolly Mammoth, primate, and Ichthyosaur) adapted by growing dense fur during the cold periods and rapidly thinning their skins during the warm periods. This produced their quasi state of repto-mammalian physiology, and led to them becoming the dominant species on Jannah.
Historically, the Janni were a peaceable folk, as their strong reptilian lineage and primate heritage meant that their familial bonds were virtually indestructible, and as such their inter-personal relationships were strong and rarely led to bloodshed and violence. A challenge against their survival as a species would usually be the only thing that would ever end in so much as a raised voice. Therefore, they were especially terrified when they realised the threat of the Sovices. They had in their history 1 single war, a time they call "The Dark Space", where a group of Janni were split off from the general population for 52 years and when re-introduced into society found living incredibly difficult compared to their harsh near-survival in the turbulent areas of the planet. As a result, they drew strength in political circles and eventually sparked a civil war against those that thought the Janni had become too compliant and those that thought they had advanced beyond nature's domination of their lives. Eventually, the war ended through attrition of anti-technology supporters, the lessons of their adversaries were never forgotten by the victors, however.
Physiology and Biology - As a species, the Janni are little different from Humans. They are bipedal and have fair skin, with a stronger trend towards blonde hair and blue eyes than other colours.
The biggest distinction between the two species would certainly have to be the racial markings on the backs of Janni, spots and stripes mostly which often give rise to a form of genetic artistry. A second distinction is the rings that appear on the ankles (And in the foreskin of males), which grow an additional constituent each year, like a tree. Whilst technically mammalian, the Janni actually developed from a cross-species of reptile and mammal, similar to the first bird-like creatures on Earth (Which were originally reptilian and gradually became mammalian through evolutionary steps, the Janni would appear somewhere in the middle of this kind of evolution).
Because of this same hybrid heritage, Janni also lay eggs, but copulate like typical mammals. In links with their mammalian heritage, the infant within the egg is fully self-aware and many Janni parents subsequently practise pre-hatching learning methods to enhance their child’s education (Birthdays are celebrated based on the date the infant hatches). As is implied in this process, Janni, like humans, exhibit gender dimorphism and females do indeed have mammary glands (As mammals do). Like reptiles, the phallus-like sexual organ of Janni males is two-pronged. Both prongs must be inserted into the female vagina during copulation for fertilisation, though other species simply enjoy the company of a male who effectively has two phalluses. However, these dual prongs do not appear outside of copulation without deliberate peeling of the foreskin, which covers both prongs (Hemipenes).
However, whilst Janni are both male and female individually, it is possible for members to reproduce asexually after prolonged periods alone in areas with a small Janni population. This usually manifests in females as a bright red phallus gradually forming within the womb, and males will form a large blue-purple sack-like layer around the phallus, which serves as a womb. Whilst this allows Janni to reproduce asexually, ejaculation is still required for the genetic material to blend, and this usually takes the form of abnormally pleasurable masturbation (Some subjects have described it as feeling the orgasm of both partners). This process developed during their evolution as a way for the Janni to evade extinction after a large number of deaths occurred in an area. Contrary to popular belief, this ability does not allow a Janni to voluntarily change gender through prolonged periods of isolation.
Janni
- +2 Intelligence
- Medium: As Medium creatures, Janni have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size
- Janni base land speed is 30 feet
- Climate Versatility (Ex): Janni are constantly under the effect of an endure elements spell. This protection does not extend to their equipment.
- 1 extra feat at 1st level
- 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level
- Automatic Languages: Jannic. Bonus Languages: None
- Favoured Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass Janni takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
- Level Adjustment: +1
Time and Events
The Janni divided their years into "Mals", each of which lasted 52-53 multiples of 22 hours, or "creks", each multiple effectively a day called a "mok" (Pronounced moe-k). This means their year was measured in 8 Mals (52, 53, 53, 52, 52, 52, 53, 52) for a total of 9218 hours (Or about 384.083 Earth days). For a shorthand, their weeks lasted 10 days, and so were called “Inssecmok”s
Holidays were a difficult thing to set by climate on Jannah, as the climate was at all times hectic and virtually unpredictable other than by their advanced technology. As a result, few holidays existed based on them, though it was customary to celebrate a prolonged period of rain with a sheltered festival called a Pk'riim. Birthdays were celebrated (Known as "Mok Sur Zal", or "Day of Arrival"), as were marriages and deaths (With equal intensity, Crel'szurs (Marriages) and Kael Prks (Death Nights) respectively)
Miscellany
Celebrations - Celebrations are boiled down to weddings (Szurs), funerals (Kael Prks), hatchings (Insres) and birthdays (Which they measure from the day of hatching).
It is traditional to hang a different-coloured wind chime above the front door of your home depending on the celebration. Red chimes are noted for funerals, Blue for weddings, White for hatchings or expecting hatchings, and Green for birthdays.
When an egg is first laid, it is often placed as a centrepiece in a special 'baby shower' event, usually in a specially made box on a blanket with a bedding of sand. It is always covered with a glass box on the outside, to prevent accidental breaking of the new life inside.
Funerals often involve a three-day pilgrimage with the frozen body to the North pole where it has been severely cold for many centuries, the body is then laid to rest inside of a 50 ft. deep grave where it is hoped the body will remain preserved, should the climate shift then the water in the body will evaporate and hopefully the corpse will suffer natural mummification. At all times, red is the primary colour of those in a pilgrimage. Traditionally, these funerals are open to the public, but private ceremonies can be requested. Normally, a Janni writes their last words on a piece of paper at hand, and are ultimately buried with the folded paper without anyone ever reading it, though in earlier generations they would whisper them to their nearest companion.
Weddings among the atheist Janni are replete with metaphors for life and togetherness and eternal bonding, and typically take place inside of a 'chapel' featuring stained glass images of Ensim and Animut and their children. Blue is the primary colour in the formal clothing for weddings.
Culture – Music in Jannic culture is an odd mix between techno and classical, resulting from their highly developed society and technology, enhanced by the mixture of sharp and flowing sounds in their language.
Food is an odd art to the Janni. Most food comes in a coloured pill form, and has a chalky taste with very slight hints of flavour (Which for Janni equates to a rich taste), which holds all required vitamins, protein, and nutrients for a single meal. The more lavish eaters can purchase snake meat, a popular delicacy to the Janni, which can be cooked in a large variety of ways and is harvested from actual snakes rather than Quad Snakes (Though if one were willing to pay a fair sum…). Most Jannic foods are chalky and dull-tasting to Humans and other races, however. Desserts include pastries and cakes, which possess the same chalky taste as the main course (Unless it happens to be snake meat, obviously), and ice creams, which are the exception to the rule of Jannic foods being dull-tasting. Because of the strength of flavour in ice cream, the Janni typically try to restrict themselves to a few servings a week, as it can prove almost addictive to them and over-enthusiasm in its consumption can lead to a near-obsession over it.
Entertainment ranges through all the same things as Human cultures do, though pleasures of the flesh are a much smaller portion in Janni culture than it is in Human culture, due to their biological traits. In particular, the Janni popularly enjoy a game called Temac Damin (“Big Dragon”), which is similar to football but involves the players aiming at holes in opposing walls rather than goals, and as an evolution of the natural reflexes created to avoid explosive environmental hazards the players use their feet whilst performing various acrobatics, and so martial arts are also popular as a competitive sport (Of which there are few).
Fictional literature is something the Janni wholly adore, as it allows them to express their great intellect and their curious nature simultaneously to develop richly detailed worlds and situations, usually and most popularly dealing with the adventures of a Janni in an alien environment, revealing facets of society and reality that the Janni, in their evolutionary haste, skipped over. Speculative fiction is to the Janni however, like Philosophy, a dead art. Acclaimed fiction writer Insenlek is known for writing his stories from the perspective of Quad Snakes, Dune Hounds, and other native fauna, giving them the necessary intellect required to comprehend such things in the process, in a manner similar to Earth writer Beatrix Potter. His stories involving Ensim and Animut are extremely popular and are read all across the globe. Another great literary author is Nolspak, who is akin to Isaac Asimov, whose stories involve futuristic Janni visiting other cultures and species, the stories often explore ethics and morals, as well as the interactions between creatures of differing perspectives and degrees of advancement.
The literary works of the Janni are held in the Jannic Records by the Sovices.
Law and Order - Because of the strong familial ties, crime is minority amongst the Janni. However, times of financial and emotional distress can drive members to illegal activities. Victims of crime and their families receive psychological counselling free of charge. Every Janni is listed inside of a planetary database upon birth, which is kept separate from the planetary network to prevent tampering. This allows DNA, fingerprint, and other biological traces to track every person on the planet. Janni computers being very advanced and possessing of high-powered AI, they are able to forensically piece together the precise events of the crime, thereby ensuring the correct person is imprisoned. However, just for fairness, a convict is allowed up to three appeals prior to their punishment. There are no courts on Jannah; however, the investigative service carries out the investigation, reconstruction, and sentencing. The entire process usually takes 7-14 days. Criminals are sentenced to community service, house arrest, or in the more serious cases: Imprisonment. There is no death sentence or life sentence for Janni, as they value life too much to eliminate even that of a criminal.
Janni are imprisoned in a reinforced natural catacomb, in a solitary or dual cell, which receives enough food for all occupants (1 or 2 by request) and light through a reinforced glass window 40 ft. up. The window serves as more than a light source, it is a constant reminder of the world they stole from themselves during their service, which can last between a few months to decades. Criminals do not mingle beyond these cells, and inter-cell communication is nigh impossible, as food is delivered through specialist dumbwaiter systems that seal air tightly shut when not in use. Clothing is exchanged with the meals (Which have plastic cutlery), so that the prisoners always have clean clothing, but the prisoners themselves using non-toxic and in-combinable supplies must undertake other cleaning activities. The outside of the complexes are guarded 22/10 by an armed outpost to prevent outside sources breaking out.
Measurements – Janni use metre-based and pound-based measuring systems. They derive the centimetre as one third of the horizontal distance between their eyes, which measures 3.0 cm on average. They increase their measurements in multiples of 10. As a result, trading Sovices usually spend a few moments converting the typically inch-based distance systems of other races into Jannic metres.
For weight, the Janni base their measurements on the Amnec, which is roughly 100 lb. Smaller or greater amounts use a decimal point system to produce multiples of the Amnec. For example, a suit of Full Plate (Weighing 50 lb) would be equivalent to weighing Noldolnox (Nol-Dol-Nox = 0-Point-5) Amnec, or 0.5 of 100 lb.
For temperature, the Janni measure 0 degrees at 45 F, which they call Inskeyo. Positive temperatures are prefixed with Yostel, negative temperatures with Keltel.
Names - Names in Jannic are typically only 1 word long, a single name that defines an individual. Most often, combining other words with distinct meanings to compose a general feel of the person uniquely forms this name. At other times, sounds suffice to create a name. Because Janni therefore lack a family name entirely, it is left out of their daily lives unless they themselves choose to involve them, and any disgrace one member of a family line may bring upon themselves is not transferred to their inheritors unless they wish to inherit it. This gives each individual Janni total control over how others perceive them, be it as the person they intend to be, or as the people that spawned them.
For example, the name of the wonder prodigy, Angstrom, is composed of the two Jannic words for “grand” (Angst) and “idea” (Rom). Therefore, the name Angstrom implies a great intellect, specifically ones involving big things, things that will most certainly affect the world, “Grand Ideas” as it were.
The name of Angstrom’s android daughter, Meter, is not derived from separate words but is instead composed from a single sound. The onomatopoeic word, Meter, was the first sound that Angstrom used to communicate with Meter, and thus was effectively the first word she learned. As a result, it was given to her as her name.
Religion and Philosophy – Early in their evolution, the predecessors of the Janni were a struggling group. On Jannah, life was difficult, and at best with traditional philosophical methods every generation would only answer perhaps a dozen of the fundamentally basic questions. Therefore, over the generations they developed a form of inherited memory that was passed down through their bloodlines to present day Janni. This means that by the time the Janni evolved into a distinct species, they already inherently knew the answers to the questions that would ensure their survival. Where to find shelter from the winds, what rocks to filter water with to make it safely drinkable, etc. However, as the Janni were a highly intellectual and curious race, they had no need for philosophy in their lives, and this genetic memory eventually fell dead as the genes eventually fell into obscurity, perhaps 1 in 200 billion Janni having just a fragment of it.
Likewise, because of their intellectual natures and the inherited information of their genus, they had no room to invent deities or other fantastical ideas inherent in religious belief. They already knew where their race had come from, so the thoughts of their original creators was something they knew the answer to. They already knew how to live their lives to the fullest, so there was no room for religion to fill in their time. As a result of all of this, the Janni never developed religion and worshipped no deities. This only added to their extremely advanced technology and scientific information.
Technology
SpoilerSovice technology is entirely based on 2 things: The blocks that compose each and every model of their community, and the technology that they themselves consume in their ever-expanding journey for resources.
Dysol Bubbles
A Dysol Bubble is a structure totally or partially encompassing a star, allowing it to draw the full solar output of the star and use it as an energy source.
At present, the Sovices possess 4 complete Dysol Bubbles. They were at one time used to power the DUMCHN 35414, but due to irreparability and several powerful solar flares they have been damaged beyond operation and cannot be repaired by the Sovices during their sleep. Once activated, they would naturally mean the return of the god machines.
DUMCHN 35414
They were part of 3 pre-existing design schematics and their hulls were originally made by the Janni prior to their destruction, ironically they were actually art pieces for the South Jannah Museum of Engineering Art (Similar to Earth's Louvre).
The names of the individual god machines is similarly translated (This is a designer's note, not actual canon):
- KLR 43154 = K43L15 R4 = Kaelis Ra
- MPH-RN 3374 = M3PH37'R4N = Mephet'ran
- VDDRN 01460 = V01D DR460N = Void Dragon
Kaelis Ra = The very first god machine to be activated. Presently in geo-synchronous orbit around the Janni-discovered star AM-030, the 3rd closest star to Sol, around which Einderseod orbits. Due to the high iron content in the meteor belt surrounding AM-030, it has become clad in a strongly magnetic layer of rock, entombing it until such a time as it is successfully re-awakened. Its appearance is partially malleable, though it usually maintains the primary facets of its original form, that of a shrouded humanoid bearing a large curved scythe as its right arm, riding a cloud of insubstantial energy. The artwork that led to its design was that embodying the physical manifestations of the Janni's fear and terror. The Mona Lisa of its time, it was a total realisation of what the Dark Space war meant for the Janni: Total, 100%, Annihilation. It was only fitting, then, that the people it terrorised named it The Nightbringer
Mephet'ran = The second machine god to be activated. Presently buried in the rubble of meteor collision on Jannah. It appears as a horned, pink-skinned devil wearing a mocking smile. Unlike Kaelis Ra, Mephet'ran prefers to use the resources of a peoples to destroy them, giving rise to its nickname of The Deceiver. The artwork leading to its design was that of the physical manifestation of deception by pride. After the Dark Space war, it was realised that not only could separation from technology cause devastation, so could total, absolute, immersion into it. The Deceiver became the manifestation of pride and being blinded by ones own arrogance in this instance, and was akin to the fresco of the Sistine Chapel.
Void Dragon = The third and final machine god to be activated. Presently stranded on the planet Tetragamma, a neighbour of some 70 light years from Jannah, where it is being venerated as a sleeping deity. It appears similar to a mechanical version of an Eastern dragon, some 90 ft. long and easily capable of swallowing a building in one fell swoop. It is the largest and most powerful of the god machines, necessitating its power by 2 Dyson spheres. The artwork that inspired it was the Janni attempt to depict perfection of design, and as such the Void Dragon is incredibly powerful and streamlined, containing a host of abilities that would frighten most ecosystems in its diversity. It was a terror to be reckoned with whilst active, but in its slumber its priests and bishops named it "Elegance" because of its physical appearance.
It should be noted that, given information supplied by the Dead-Nick Armada circa E-2042, VDDRN 01460 is the only god machine not awakened.
Omnigates
An Omnigate is a massive device that produces an effect similar to a gate spell but with a much larger portal. The Sovices create theirs from the use of their specially designed Gatcon models, linking the gates to the Plane of Shadow, where their troops can wait after passing through one of the nearby black holes. By shifting the entry portal, the Sovices can shift entry to a new black hole or to a different part of the Material Plane. This allows them near-instantaneous transportation to virtually any part of the multiverse. The Omnigates function in both backwards and forwards functions, allowing travel both ways through the portal, and can be set up to function relatively quickly once at least 3 Gatcons are present in a single location.
However, the weak points of the Omnigate design are its components, the Gatcons. The Gatcons are not particularly strong, though they are resilient to attack, and without the rapid sub light travel of a Stellar Engine they are forced at present to utilise their own sub light transport methods of scout and teleportation technology to reach destinations.
Sovice Blocks
The blocks are created from any metals in the environment they are constructed, and are usually an inch thick and are typically shaped like a hexagon with a single geometric line running from one side to an opposite corner. They take up roughly 123 cm3, and can alter their hexagonal shape into any equivalent shape due to their nanotechnological composition. Using this shape, they can create virtually any form they require.
Blocks are created by a Sovice Mother, and will lay dormant until a power source or additional blocks are placed near it. With the presence of a power source, a block begins replicating to produce the necessary blocks with which to become an active Sovice Mother. This behaviour does not occur if one is already present, instead waiting for the blocks to be made by the Sovice Mother, who is far faster at doing so. Blocks can create additional blocks at the rate of 5 ounces of material every round (As a full-round action).
Blocks have the additional property of being able to repair Constructs. For each block applied to the body of a damaged non-Sovice Construct, it is healed as if by a repair moderate damage spell cast by 16th level spellcaster. However, the block does this by integrating itself into the Construct’s form, and every time a block is applied, the Construct must make a Will save against DC 15 +1/block or be taken over by the programming of the block. A Construct so controlled gradually transforms into a Sovice Mother over the course of 18 rounds, and meanwhile dismantles all machinery around it and repels all life forms that pose a threat.
Destroying the blocks is difficult. As an object, they are Fine size (AC 18), with Hardness equal to the material they are composed of and Hit Points equal to a 3-inch thick segment of that material. A Sovice that is destroyed with damage equal to at least half its Hit Points breaks up completely; otherwise it breaks up into its constituent blocks, from which it can reform.
Stellar Engines
The primary method of transport for the Sovices, a Stellar Engine is similar to a Dyson Sphere in that it uses a star as a power source. However, a Stellar Engine uses a series of 3 Dyson rings around the star combined with a static metallic sheet impervious to radiation and heat, which causes the star to move in the direction of the sheet, due to additional thrust on one side exceeding that of the sheet.
Originally the Sovices possessed 19 of these engines, but after they entered their hibernatory state most of them fell apart. As a result the areas around Jannah are riddled with black holes resulting from the instabilities inherent in a stationary Stellar Engine (Such as unfamiliar gravitational pulls and mass fluctuations), and only ~4 such engines remain functional. However, as a side effect the black holes serve as inexpensive transport to the Plane of Shadow, where the Sovices can use their Omnigates to travel to distant lands on the Material Plane.
Sovice Subtype
SpoilerSovices are composed of identical blocks, and can dissemble into these blocks as a standard action. These individual blocks can then go on to make others, or assemble into a new Sovice.
Traits
A sovice possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in the creature’s entry)
- Learned Technology Resistance (Ex): Every time a creature successfully deals damage to a sovice (After the subtraction of Damage Reduction, if applicable) with a non-piercing manufactured weapon, every sovice in range of Linked Minds increases its Damage Reduction against that particular weapon (And only that particular weapon, such as longswords, greataxes, etc.) by 3. These increases in DR are cumulative, and if more than one sovice is damaged with a single attack, they each increase DR against that weapon by 3. For example, Regdar and Tordek encounter a sovice mother. Regdar hits it with his greatsword and deals 4 damage, whilst Tordek fails to deal damage with his greataxe. From then on, every sovice linked to the mother via Linked Minds gains DR 3 against longswords, but if Tordek damages it with his greataxe this DR doesn't apply (Though it will apply the next time he deals damage, when the sovices have DR 3 against greataxes). If Regdar deals damage a second time, this continues to increase to DR 6, until he cannot deal damage anymore, whereupon this ability does not activate. Regdar and Tordek aren't having a very good day, but the sovices are more than happy to put them out of their misery, and Regdar and Tordek's weapons and armor are happily wandering about as part of a sovice chopper the next day. This DR decreases by 1 every day after its last increase, until it reaches 0 and vanishes entirely.
- Learned Spell Resistance (Su): Whenever a spell effect overcomes a sovice's SR (Effectively 0), every sovice in range of its Linked Mind ability increases its SR against that particular spell by 5. Increases in this manner stack, and if multiple sovices are affected by the same spell, each grants this bonus to SR. For example, if Mialee casts fireball at a sovice and succeeds on her Caster level check against the SR 0 of the sovice, that sovice and every sovice it is connected to with Linked Minds gains SR 5 against fireball, but if Mialee then uses magic missile, she still only has to beat SR 0 with her Caster level check. If he succeeded on the caster level check, then she would have to then beat SR 5 with her next magic missile against a sovice in range of Linked Minds (Including the same sovice she hit before). This SR decreases by 1 every day after its last increase, until it reaches 0 and vanishes entirely.
- Developmental Magic (Su/Sp): If a spell effect fails to overcome a sovice's SR by 10 or more, every sovice in range of Linked Minds becomes able to use that spell as a spell-like ability once per day with a caster level equalling its Hit Die. Any sovice can have spell-like abilities with a total spell level equalling its Hit Die times 2 (Or, 2 spell levels per Hit Die, 0-level spells are counted as 1/2 level for purposes of space). If a new spell would breach this limit, a sovice may elect not to gain the new spell-like ability, or to 'lose' one of its old spells in order to allow space for the new spell-like ability. For example, a sovice bug has 4 HD, so it can have a maximum of 8 spell levels with its spell-like abilities. It already has magic missile (1), gust of wind (2) and disintegrate (6), when a sovice within 10 miles acquires call lightning (3) as a spell-like ability. The bug in question has already got 8 levels in spells, so it 'loses' magic missile and gust of wind to acquire it in their stead. The save DCs against these spell-like abilities are equal to 10 + Spell Level + Intelligence modifier, despite the general rule of spell-like abilities being based on Charisma, as sovices excel in using their vast knowledge to their benefit, and as a whole are not charismatic enough to utilise spells effectively otherwise.
- Composition (Ex): Sovice are constructed from materials in the environment they are built. The examples here use a Sovice created from steel in the environment, but other metals are usable. A Sovice’s natural armor is equal to the Hardness of the metal from which it is constructed. A Sovice made from metals that easily corrode does not lose its swim speed, though it will not take to the water unless absolutely necessary. Sovices gain all the special qualities of the material they are composed of, including both beneficial and detrimental effects (Such as the ability to ignore Hardness less than 20 with Adamantine, or the –1 penalty to damage from Alchemical Silver).
- DR 5/piercing
- Linked Mind (Ex): All sovices within 10 miles of each other are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a particular group is not flanked, none of them are. No sovice in such a group is considered flanked unless they all are. For purposes of distance, Gatcons forming the any part of an Omnigate conduit (That is, the point of origin and the second stage on the Plane of Shadow) are considered to be within 10 miles of each other as long as the Omnigate is functional.
- Magic Vulnerability (Ex): Coming from an environment that has very little magic, sovices initially are vulnerable to it, and take double damage from spells used against them, as well as a –4 penalty on saving throws against spells. Learned Spell Resistance removes this effect against spells used against them at least 3 times.
- Reformation (Ex): This ability functions like Regeneration by allowing Sovices to regrow lost limbs and body parts by regrouping the lost blocks, and also allows them to heal 5 points of damage each round. However, this ability does not prevent any damage or convert it to nonlethal damage. A Sovice that has been broken apart by damage not equalling half its HP (Rounding down) can reform into its standard state in 3 rounds. As a standard action, a Sovice can dissemble into its component blocks, from which it can reassemble as a different or identical unit as a standard action.
