Mutant

A "**mutant**" (in the general definition used throughout the world) is any human or sentient with genetic abilities, usually in the form of either fire or electricity manipulation, or invisibility. They can also be any sentient who had their genetics altered, or were descended from such people.

## Terminology

In the Rabydosverse, they are better known as "sdačtelǐ", "**sdachel**", or "sdatel". In the Rinnarverse, they can be known as "huanrens", "huanors" (from 換, huan, the Chinese word for "change"); scintors (from "scintillam", the Latin word for spark); "xel", "zel" (from "excellent"), or "broitnari" (from "breyta", the Icelandic word for "change").

## History

Most mutants are descendants of super-soldiers from ancient armies and people-batteries who managed to intermarry with commoners, resulting in dangerous lineages renowned in folklore throughout the planet. Some were descendants of earlier projects (such as the Human Sanctification Project in the Gauvajut Empire) who enjoyed better resistance to genetic disorders at the cost of other traits such as creativity, innovation, and dissent.

Nations with significant mutant populations include Marnos in the north and Umbirab in the south. In Marnos, all mutants are regarded as property of the government, and they must wear a gauntlet that suppresses their powers whenever they go outside their homes. In contrast, Umbirabian mutants do not need gauntlets to control their powers: having learned to control them by themselves, their powers are stronger than their Marnosyn counterparts.

Immortals are also grouped among mutants, as their altered genetics allow them to live as adults for centuries, if not millennia. Nations with a higher proportion of mutants among their populations include Umbirab (who have also founded the country) and the Wannaenid Empire.

Occasionally in Jerde's ancient history, certain tribes have mutated into vampires, driven either by hunger or violence. As most vampires have devolved into cannibals, and they have waged many wars against the other civilisations to reduce them to prey and slaves and take over the planet, the peoples of Jerde have forbidden vampirism and the existence of vampires to avoid similar costly wars.

## Characteristics

Mutants are characterised by the type of powers they have: "fire mutants" are those with fire-based abilities such as beams or glowing one's self for warmth or light; "lightning mutants" absorb electricity to use and generate lightning from their body heat into their fingers; and "shadow mutants" can become invisible and quick.

It is rare for a mutant to have any two or all three powers at once, and certain other abilities such as time manipulation are rarer. Usually a mutant born from parents with different powers will inherit only one of the two powers, somewhat like hair colour.

Occasionally, a fire mutant would be born with several additional abilities, such as causing their bodies to glow (instead of just heating something that they touch at will) or shooting beams of heated energy. These are known as "sun mutants", and they are considered to be more powerful than ordinary fire mutants.

Fire mutants can "eat" flames by touching them, absorbing the flames through their own fingers to produce energy and new matter, making them healthier and stronger. The process is similar to photosynthesis. This allows firefighters who are fire mutants to simply put out fires by taking off their gloves, so there are many cases where skinny, lanky men emerged from a burning building as if they looked like bodybuilders, having eaten the flames and becoming strong enough to rescue any survivors inside.

Even then, fire mutants must still eat regular food to sustain their bodies and avoid hunger, like other humans. Fire may make them stronger, but they still must eat regularly to survive.

## Culture

In many countries, mutants tend to dedicate themselves to certain deities that represented their powers. For example, lightning mutants tend to worship Perun, Thor, Tarhunz, or Perkunas; fire mutants worship Saule, Gabija, Svarog, Gibil, Nusku, Amaterasu, or Freyr; and shadow mutants worship Odin, Laima, or Veles (or Perun or Mesjats if Veles is an enemy).

"Pyromania" is when a fire mutant becomes obsessed with fire, either by surrounding themselves with flames or burning things. The equivalent condition in lightning mutants is "keraunomania", a desire to be wreathed in electricity or to electrocute things.

### Marnos

In spite of their partial incarceration, some mutants have joined clubs and knighthoods. Some of these orders and groups have dedicated themselves as adopted children of their respective gods. Arrogance, pride, and religious fervour have made many mutants resentful against Marnos' government, seeking more freedoms and prestige as living demigods.

Lightning mutants tend to dedicate themselves to Perkunas (god of thunder, king of the gods) or Televelis (smith of the gods).

Fire mutants consider themselves to be sons and daughters of either Gabija (goddess of the hearth) or Saule (goddess of the sun).

Shadow mutants have a greater variety of gods to select from to honour: Laima (goddess of life), Egle (goddess of snakes), or Ragana (goddess of change and magic).

During solar eclipses, fire mutants dance to worship the sun.

It was the mutants of Marnos, led by their President Pragaryrjos, who aided the Bujanski and their allies in defeating the Wannaenid supersoldiers.

In ancient times, a wise king of Marnos created a medicine from his own spit, as he learned that the saliva of a fire mutant can help a person recover and heal more quickly. But to prevent his own people from being too dependent on the mutants for medicine, he ordered the growth and production of other types of herbal medicine.

### Gauvajut Empire

Although mutation was discouraged during the Gauvajut Empire's time, certain volunteers and devotees of Tarhunz were trained into lightning mutants. As they were able to control and shoot lightning from their hands, they were regarded as priests and crusaders of Tarhunz.

### Umbirab

Umbirab is a nation founded by a certain kind of mutant known as immortals. It later becomes a refuge for mutants of all races: there, they can use their powers freely without any gauntlets to control them, allowing their powers to become stronger and more easily-controlled.

### Freyrgardians

Two well-known knightly orders in Galactic history were the Order of the Triple Comet and the Order of the Firestorm, fire mutants who rode on flaming steeds and wreaked destruction to the enemies of their civilisation. These orders were dedicated to Heimdall, aiding their allies by burning their foes.

## Non-human mutants

Other sentient species also have their mutants, such as the Igarinoids.

### Igarin Empire and Nandegakko

Both Imperials and rebels used super-powered soldiers in their battles: for example, devotees of the Imperial sun god Faneson blasted jets of heated energy to wipe out masses of troops; while Nandegakkovian saboteurs either made themselves invisible, or ignited firestorms to quickly ruin enemy bases and confuse armies. As their homeworld was the target of invasions and ruled by oppressive governments, some Nandegakkovians trained themselves to be mutants to protect their homeworld from invaders.

### Kuelgons and Konjors

The Kuelgon race of Igarinoids -- the *de facto* rulers of the Konjor Supercorporation -- are an entire race of mutants. Their Noskowi ancestors gained these powers after being mutated by their homeworld's polluted ecosystem. Each Kuelgon is hatched with the basic ability of shape-shifting, but their respective genes would give them different powers, such as glowing skin, shooting fire and energy from their hands, toughening skin into a metallic substance, or invisibility: any of them can become more deadly with enough training.

Likewise, the Noskowi and Anchanokke, breakaway Kuelgon nations to the west and east, can also shapeshift and develop abilities. In addition, some Noskowi and all Anchanokke are hatched with magical powers, resulting in entire nations of mages and sorcerers.

### Others

In some civilisations, mutation is a rite of passage, where young men and women who pass a test were given powers. In others, mutation is an act that consecrates the bearer to specific deities, even though they may not become priests.

Unicorns are a mutated subspecies of horses.

### Heronoi and Ontemazei mutants

It is possible for a Heronoi or an Ontemazei to become a mutant, even though fire would damage their blood or bodies. If such people are changed into mutants by a chemical or genetic altering, the process might destroy their bodies, unless they take a heavy supplement that slows its effects and allows the body to adapt.

Heronoi and Ontemazei who were descended from mutants, or who successfully became mutants, have stronger bodies than their normal counterparts.

## In the Rinnarverse

Some races and ethnicities of people in the Rinnarverse were descendants of mutants, people whose genetics were artificially altered.

* Unionites
* Vetarbroitar
* Cospolins of the Cosmopolitan Empire
* pink-haired outcasts of the Rinnarit Republic
* the cybernetic Galaxials
* and their silver-haired Snowfolk descendants.

## Terminology

* Bujanski: sdačtelǐ (one who was altered)
* Marnosyn: sarolas (pl. sarolai)
* Gauvajut: wakhnunas
* Sarmelonid: wakhnon
* Throughout the Rinnarverse: huanren, huanor, scintor, scint, zel, xel
* Neo-Norse: broitnari

## Trivia

* The "mutants" in the Rabydosverse were inspired by the "mutants" of X-Men and the "psykers" of Warhammer 40000.
* In 2021, the author decided to use "sdačtelǐ", "sdachel", or "sdatel" as a replacement for "mutant", to avoid capyright issues with Marvel.
* Grotesque and monstrous "mutants" (the more common definition of "mutant") are known as "twisted ones", "ghouls", or "brokens", as most of them do not have useful powers like the more notable "mutants" do.
* Most fire mutants in Marnos are descended from sun mutants.
* Fire mutants would feel more ticklish when in water.
* Since sun mutants can radiate light and heat from their glowing skin and hair, they can also cause plants to grow just by going near them. That also allows them to be a suitable teammate for an Ontemazei, whose woulds can quickly heal when exposed to those mutants' light.
	+ Oddly enough, their light can also soothe an Epadwaranai or an Arnadjanai during a lunar eclipse.