Ertuul

## Description

One of the realms that Bret Byrne travels to contains a world referenced as the "Ocean world". The creatures there resemble Goblin Sharks and Bret inhabits one of them called Suyi. At one point, Bret describes their form and some locomotion:

> *Not to mention, the Ertuul don’t exactly have hands or prehensile limbs. They have breathing techniques that can slim down or bulk up their shape, but nothing provides a handy set of limbs. They can crawl or inch, come to find out since I got stuck.*
>
>

## Ecology

The Ertuul live so deep in the ocean that the sun doesn't reach them. Bret found the Ertuul use the changes in the current that flows through their environment as a means to tell time.

### **Birth**

Bret describes catching a memory of the birth creche.

> *While fragmented and watery, I experienced a brief moment of the being I inhabited when it was younger and still constrained the creche of its birth. The sight was strange and exotic, pale yellow in color with tints of red-gold. It struggled from a bubble-like gel mass and was far from alone, its newborn eyes watching hundreds of similar beings work free. Those born consumed the egg that was their birth chamber and then feasted on the other lesser fortunate ones that did not hatch.*
>
>

### Gender

Ertuul can flip gender to one or the other and even exist in a neutral state. New Ertuul exist in a neutral state, not taking on gender until they achieve Equilibrium.

### Seat of Sentience

The inner universe of an Ertuul. Bret described this occurring as:

> *... an Ertuul sees or is stuck by something so powerful that it becomes their core nucleus that they form their inner selves around.*
>
>

### Seat of Sentience Examples

> *Suyi's Seat of Sentience was a Saturn-like planet above a lotus.*
>
>

> *... this Ertuul had layers upon layers of rainbow hues that lapped like an ocean around a rugged, stone-like giant Ertuul at the center.*
>
>

> *Seat of Sentience ... a cliff of striations, carved and cut to fashion the aggressive appearance of something aquatic and clearly a type of predatory fish*
>
>

> *... a different internal nucleus — this a reflection of the stars on the ocean's surface.*
>
>

> *... Unlike the others who had a similar core, it seemed monstrous and twisted in comparison.*
>
>

## Long Slide of Memories / Rainbow Spectrum Training

While fixing Suyi's nervous system, Bret unlocks a purposely suppressed memory he refers to as the long slide of memory/rainbow spectrum. Bret speculates the event is something all/most young Ertuul go through, since it teaches how to survive, hunt, communicate, lead, etc. It also shows the young Ertuul how to use the power of breath to do their magic.

* The event is a series of color-coded scenarios that teach one or more topics. Individual at first, exit to the next scenario is a simple "find the hidden spot" puzzle.
* Later events, especially leadership ones, require Ertuul to group together, communicate, fight and support through waves of attackers or hostile events, using disaster, tower defense style and open field scenarios.
* In the breathing scenarios, Ertuul have to master basic breathing techniques to succeed. How far they go is determined by how well and how much they absorb.
* Graduation scenario requires Ertuul to move to different points, flee from pursuers, fight with aggressors, and many other situations. Basically, put it all together.

## Equilibrium

All Ertuul seek to find the Equilibrium, or the point where they will no longer decay into madness and turn into a ravenous beast.

Bret talks about this in Syzygy:

> *...the Ertuul are born in a starvation state. They hunger and must consume other creatures constantly after birth, or they fall into a state of self-cannibalism, literally eating parts of themselves until they turn into a horrible monstrosity that turns on everything living. In Suyi's memories, I found a glimpse of the horrific thing, happy it was only a fraction of a view since I had no desire to meet or experience it longer than that glimpse. Still, that monstrosity gave the Ertuul their nasty reputation, and according to Suyi's memory, they have few predators in the deep ocean because of it. Equally, it kept them from becoming civilized, of course, and it was only when they evolved or learned specific breathing techniques that it was overcome.*
>
>

Bret noted in Syzygy that:

> *Unlike humans who need air, water, clothes, and such, the Ertuul only seem to need to eat and keep themselves in check so they don't devolve into horrific monsters.*
>
>

## Language

The Ertuul interact and communicate via color, which they can create and comprehend due to their special physiology.

> *The Ertuul have an amazingly complex spectrum of color interactions...*
>
>

In Syzygy, Bret describes seeing as an Ertuul:

> *... it unfolded in all its majesty, revealing an incredible explosion of colors in motion. In my mind, it was painting in constant motion, an unseen brush constantly letting new colors, shapes, and emotions, seen and unseen fall from their touch. Once I had realized it existed, I had not looked away but fell into the scene.*
>
>

## Final Retreat

When the prime currents in their environment change and turn cold, the Ertuul retreat to warmer waters, leaving behind the unfit or infirm. Bret found the deep ocean waters chilled dramatically every couple of thousand cycles. It grew so cold that all the creatures learned to retreat, hibernate or move to another part of the ocean.

Bret described it as follows:

> *Finding the right combination of techniques and formations is what saved the Ertuul from their previous miserable existence. Besides declining into insanity, the harsh encroach of chill every couple thousand cycles meant almost all the survivors died. Several times the race had teetered on the edge of extinction. Building a way to mass retreat was one of the true deciders that the Ertuul continued on a species.*
>
>

## Breathing Powers

Ertuul have a form of magical progression that uses breathing as a base to wield power. Breathing is the heart of the Equilibrium. Regardless of how the Ertuul race figured it out, the Ertuul found that if they learned and used the right combination of breathing techniques, it could counter the devolution into the monstrosity of their past.

* **Puffer Fish** - Bret uses this power almost immediately, swelling up like a pufferfish and sucking in his five companions, storing them inside.
* **Healing Powers** - While not detailed, several of the Ertuul have breathing methods that provide healing.
* **Chrysalis** - Several times breathing power are used to release an array of power that creates a chrysalis.
* **Cyclone Dance** - Movement technique.
* **Bubble** - Create experience bubbles to convey understanding or memories.
* **Harden Skin** - like it says.
* **Expel Water** - like it says.
* **Camouflage** - like it says.
* **Layered Defense** - A layering, high version of Harden Skin. Suyi uses this against Soryon instinctively.
* **Inediate** - One of the hardest breathing powers to master. Allows an Ertuul to exist without eating, though it also weakens them heavily.

## Significant Ertuul Named in Syzygy

* Suyi - the Ertuul that Bret inhabits in Book 3 - Syzygy.
* Soryon - "herd leader" or "protector" in the Ertuul culture. Male Ertuul. Dark, obsidian color to his power.
* Docura - One-eyed, female Ertuul that heals Suyi. Wheat colored powers.

## Civilization

* Sacred geometry and how it interacts with the environment
* Breathing techniques.