Vodyanoi

The Vodyanoi (pronounced ‘voh-die-a-noy’) are a semi-aquatic humanoid species originating from the planet Yazanakhab.

## Anatomy and Physiology

Vodyanoi have long, narrow faces, medium to dark skin, and large, glassy eyes that can be any color. They do not have pupils or irises; rather, their eyes are compounded in a similar manner to insects. Their noses are either flat and wide or hooked. Their hair typically matches the color of their eyes and ranges from wavy to coily in texture. They have patches of iridescent scales over most of their bodies, the exact pattern being entirely unique to the individual.

Vodyanoi are generally taller than other species, averaging at 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) and tend towards thin, lithe builds, although exceptions to this are common. They mature physically at a similar rate to humans, but cease aging entirely once reaching maturity, making them biologically immortal. Being a semi-aquatic race, they have two fins sprouting from the sides of their heads, which vary in size and shape per individual, and gill slits on the side of their necks. They also grow shell-shaped horns, although some Vodyanoi choose to dehorn themselves for convenience.

One of the distinct traits of Vodyanoi are their number of limbs. All Vodyanoi are hatched with four arms, two digitigrade legs, and a thick, prehensile tail. They have three webbed, talon-like toes, and a vestigial dewclaw on each leg. Each hand has six clawed fingers. Their tails are fluked in a similar manner to whales, allowing them increased mobility in water.

All Vodyanoi have four sensory spines sprouting from their cheeks, and uncommonly from the base and ends of their tails or from their wrists or ankles. These spines allow them to sense subtle changes in pressure and temperature, as well as electromagnetic fields created by planets and other living beings. This grants them exceptional navigational and observational abilities—it is nearly impossible for living things to sneak up on Vodyanoi because of the electrical signals released by the nervous system during movement.

### Coloration

Vodyanoi have three main colors: their skin tone, and a primary and secondary color.

* Skin tones: Their skin tones fall under the same ranges of human skin (most commonly III-VI on the Fitzpatrick scale). Their skin may become ashy if the individual is unhealthy or practices poor hygiene.
* Primary colors: Their primary can be any color, but is generally highly saturated. This color affects their eyes, hair, and the gradients on their horns and scale patterns. Their mucous membranes, tongues, and nails will also be this color.
* Secondary color: The secondary color is either analogous or complementary to the primary color. This color affects the gradients on their horns and scale patterns as well as the color of their spines. Scars and blood will also be this color.

### Psionics

In addition to being sensory organs, a Vodyanoi’s spines serve as psionic foci. They are highly sensitive to the emotions and mental states of other creatures, making them natural empaths. This empathic sense is not necessarily limited to other organisms—some Vodyanoi can sense the emotions of spirits and the natural world, while others gain uncanny intuition through sensing the universe’s will. A Vodyanoi’s mood generally reflects that of the people around it, for better or worse. While this sensitivity often proves beneficial for Vodyanoi and their companions, it makes them highly susceptible to the influence of dark energy, especially that of horrorterrors.

### Reproduction and Maturation

While Vodyanoi are capable of engaging in sexual activity, it is not a requirement for reproduction. Rather, Vodyanoi interested in reproducing will pool their psychic energy over the course of a few days, up to a week, in an exhaustive ritual known as animogenesis. This process can be completed with any number of Vodyanoi, each leaving a small mark upon the offspring’s genetic code. The eggs created by this process resemble those of frogs and fish, being transparent and having a jelly-like texture with an iridescent surface. Most Vodyanoi will only reproduce 2-3 times in their lifetime, as they do not die from old age and are generally able to fend off predators, causing no ecological pressure to reproduce.

Vodyan reproduction is unique because of the use of intangible mental energy rather than gametes in the process. In addition to contributing physical qualities, the parent’s memories, knowledge, emotions, and desires are passed onto offspring during animogenesis.  The hereditary nature of their memories means that each Vodyanoi has a distinctive grasp on the species’ history, and enters the world with adult-level knowledge.

After an egg is produced through aminogenesis, it is left in a communal hatchery resembling a large swimming pool. Hatcheries are constructed on top of buildings to expose eggs to as much moonlight as possible. After a 10-month incubation period, the egg hatches during the nighttime, with the infant Vodyanoi resembling a tadpole about one foot (0.3 meters) in length. Over the course of approximately five years, the Vodyanoi will develop limbs, spines, and scales, as well as grow in size, gradually turning into a small humanoid approximately 3 feet (0.9 meters) in height. This metamorphosis is complete when a Vodyanoi’s horns start growing in, approximating around 12-14 years for most individuals, after which they are fully matured and able to fend for themselves. Vodyanoi that are far in the process of metamorphosis are able to leave the hatcheries, but need to stay moist to breathe, limiting them to Yazanakhab’s oceans. They continue to grow in size up until maturity, age 18-20 for most individuals, when they stop aging entirely, although their horns continue to grow throughout their lifetime.

Vodyanoi begin developing their psionic abilities at the same time their metamorphosis is complete, or 12-14 years of age. This time is generally very stressful for Vodyanoi, as they also begin to experience their ancestors’ memories as they develop their psionics, which span through their entire history. This phase of development, known as “the remembering,” can be very distressing to young Vodyanoi, especially if they experience traumatic memories first. Some Vodyanoi may seek counseling or take medication to lessen the emotional impact of their memories while in this process. This process ends at maturity, or 18-20 years of age, when they have received and assimilated all of their ancestors’ memories into their own minds.

Due to their unique reproductive method, Vodyanoi are unable to hybridize with other species outside of ectobiology.

### Gender and Pronouns

Vodyanoi do not follow the typical XY sex-determination of most humanoid species. Rather, their sex is determined by the presence of their planet’s four moons at the time of their hatching, resulting in 70 possible sexes. There are no significant phenotypic differences between sexes, although Vodyanoi hatched under certain lunar patterns are rumored to have special abilities. They do not have a gender binary and there is no cultural significance to sex or gender in Vodyan society, so Vodyanoi tend to choose pronouns based on personal preference. Examples include vi/vir, xe/xem, e/em, etc.

Because of their ever-evolving self-image, Vodyanoi frequently change their gender identity and pronouns, sometimes going as far to change multiple times per sentence. While this is widely considered the norm in Vodyan society, it often leads to confusion when communicating with other races, so Vodyanoi may choose to keep one consistent set of pronouns when dealing with “outsiders.”

### Injury and Illness

While Vodyan healthcare has mostly eliminated physical illness, some diseases and injuries still occur, especially off-planet. Those disabled due to injury/illness are welcomed in Vodyan society, and all necessary accommodations are made for them. Some illnesses and injuries unique to Vodyanoi include:

#### Gill Rot

Despite the gruesome name, gill rot is mostly harmless. It occurs when there is infection, usually fungal or bacterial in nature, in a Vodyanoi’s gills. The symptoms are flu-like with an added effect of a slimy white film covering the gills, which may also become swollen. The illness is generally mild to moderate in severity, and symptoms last for 1-2 weeks. It is treated with bedrest, painkiller and anti-inflammatory medication, and by flushing the gills with saline solution.

#### Pallor

Caused by poor nutrition or lack of sunlight, pallor is a major indicator of poor health in Vodyanoi. A Vodyanoi suffering from the disease may have dull, yellowish-brown skin which peels or flakes, a low fever, mood swings, and unexplained weakness and exhaustion. While usually treatable, symptoms become more severe if the illness progresses: late-stage pallor may result in anemia, reduced wound healing, large areas of bruising, and gingivitis. It can be treated by improving diet, taking nutritional supplements, and exposure to UV rays (artificial or natural).

#### Sensory Spine Injury

If not careful, Vodyanoi may damage their sensory spines. Doing so is extremely painful and interferes with their ability to sense electromagnetic fields, causing disorientation and vertigo-like symptoms. If completely severed, spines can be reattached if treatment is given quickly enough. While most Vodyanoi are able to make a full recovery, some are left with permanent damage to their senses and psionics.

#### Hypersensitivity

Some Vodyanoi are born with or develop an overly active sense of empathy. This may result in mood swings, headaches, social fatigue, and anxiety, or cause a Vodyanoi to isolate themselves from others. There is no cure for hypersensitivity, but therapy and self-calming techniques can be used to lessen the symptoms.

#### Energy Vampirism

Energy vampirism, more commonly known as just vampirism, is considered a variant to hypersensitivity. Those with the illness are extremely sensitive to positive emotions, and feed off of feelings of love, happiness, joy, etc. which can leave others feeling drained or unhappy. Those with vampirism may also express more traditional vampiric traits—they may have especially sharp canine teeth or grayer skin than those without it.  There is no cure for vampirism, but with open communication vampires can ensure they are meeting their needs without causing harm to others.

## Society and Culture

The Vodyanoi are a spiritual race, and are generally more concerned with the spirit’s metaphorical journey rather than the body’s physical one. They are naturally inquisitive; most Vodyanoi spend their lives pursuing knowledge in various fields. Because of their long lifespans, Vodyan scholars often become masters of their respective subjects, having centuries to research, experiment, and travel to study to perfect their practices. They place a great value on aesthetics, and often travel on sightseeing tours that may last decades. Their identities are fluid—it is rare for a Vodyanoi to stay the same (be it mentally, socially, or intellectually) for longer than a year.

Vodyan society is entirely classless and all necessities are provided by the government for free. Automation and a net labor standard have all but ended scarcity, allowing every citizen to live in luxury and pursue their personal goals. When dealing on an interplanetary scale, Vodyanoi accept information as currency—anything ranging from philosophical texts to technological blueprints to personal secrets is fair game. They may also deal in the local currency if part of the diaspora.

The Vodyan government is isocratic, meaning every citizen gets equal power, and a true democracy. Citizens are able to directly propose policy initiatives rather than being represented by politicians, so their society is a direct reflection on what citizens think is important at any given moment. Vodyanoi will often discuss political or societal issues for hours on end to come to an optimal conclusion for everyone involved.

Vodyanoi are a highly pacifistic race. Each individual has an eidetic memory, and due to its hereditary nature, can remember the torment their species went through due to conflict. As a result, most Vodyanoi tend to avoid physical violence at all costs. Most Vodyanoi will only resort to fighting if threatened or extremely upset, or in the event of an uprising or revolution, preferring to resolve situations through communication. If a Vodyanoi needs to make their disdain known, they may act extremely passive-aggressive or otherwise unwelcoming.

### Paths

The Vodyan equivalent of a caste system was abolished early in their modern history, being deemed cruel and unnecessary. Instead, Vodyanoi divide themselves among paths—specialized professions that work to improve society through various approaches. Vodyanoi choose their path upon maturation and although uncommon, may change paths at any time in their lives. Outside of specialized jobs, all citizens participate in civic duties. These include cooking meals, picking up trash, teaching school, farming or gardening, construction, caring for children, helping the sick, etc. There are no biological prerequisites to paths, though Vodyanoi with certain traits may fare better in some paths than others. The paths are as follows:

#### Gridkeepers

The Gridkeeper path consists of Vodyanoi who have close ties with Yazanakhab’s natural layout. This connection may be in the form of a heightened sensitivity to the natural geomagnetic field, knowledge of the planet’s sprawl of ley lines, an intuitive sense of the weather and climate, or anything regarding the natural forces of the planet. Vodyanoi that choose this path most often become ecologists in some form, using their ingrained knowledge to create sustainable technology, improve city layouts, develop agricultural techniques and encourage natural growth. They often work closely with Dreamcasters when conceptualizing new technology, and with Lightworkers to avoid encroaching on hallowed ground.

#### Shadowwalkers

Shadowwalkers can loosely be considered the Vodyan equivalent of spies. While Vodyanoi are generally a pacifistic race, they value information above all else—especially the knowledge of other species. Shadowwalkers are tasked with infiltrating, wiretapping, and otherwise acquiring intelligence. They tend to target scientific, historical, or technological information, but are willing to seek out political intelligence on behalf of other species. Members of the Shadowwalker path are most capable of fighting out of all Vodyanoi, as they are trained in self-defense before embarking on missions, but rarely aggress and mostly depend on nonviolent tradecraft to do their jobs.

#### Dreamcasters

Dreamcasters are visionaries and creatives who serve as the intersection between art and technology. They are engineers, medics, architects, and artists who work to advance society technologically while maintaining the Vodyanoi’s high regard for aesthetics. They may also become mathematicians, physicists, biologists, or chemists, using applied mathematics and knowledge of practical sciences to turn conceptual ideas into functional designs. Additionally, this knowledge frequently manifests in their art—sacred geometry appears frequently in Vodyan works, and abstract structures and biological creatures often become canvases for their use. They often work closely with Lightworkers and Gridkeepers, using the observations from the other two paths to conceptualize their designs and add artistic flair to other paths’ works.

#### Lightworkers

The Lightworker path makes up the spiritual leaders of the Vodyanoi. They may be priests, psychologists, or philosophers, and provide emotional, spiritual, and intellectual guidance to the lost. They also serve as lawyers, judges, and others who seek justice, and propose most of the laws that are put into effect by the populace. Lightworkers are also responsible for maintaining sacred sites and interpret religious and historical text to apply them to modern times. They often guide Gridkeepers in maintaining sacred ground, and Dreamcasters by abstracting solutions to difficult problems.

#### Lodestar

While every Vodyan citizen has a say in political affairs thanks to their isocratic system of government, the Lodestar is responsible for uniting them under a common goal. They have no significant power over societal affairs—rather, they guide discussion and organize solutions decided by the public. The Lodestar also serves as the Vodyanoi’s representative in foreign affairs; it is only then that they are permitted to make decisions without consult. The Lodestar abandons their position in their original path when transferring to leadership, but may return to it once they have trained a replacement.

### Foreign Policy

Yazanakhab’s ecology is maintained by a careful balance between industry and nature by the Vodyanoi. As a result, they limit the amount of visitors allowed on the planet at any given time out of fear of upsetting the natural world. Their embassy is held on their single inhabitable moon, Eadala, which is public, but only authorized visitors are allowed onto the planet itself. Those who wish to visit Yazanakhab must appeal to the Bureau of Extraterrestrial Affairs at least one galactic-standard year in advance. Exceptions to this are often made for refugees and asylum seekers.

Vodyanoi may travel on educational or sightseeing trips. Occasionally, they will serve as mediators between two conflicting groups, or as medics in intergalactic battlefields. Vodyanoi on altruistic missions drape themselves in silver veils to denote the nature of their presence, and distinguish them from combatants. Tourists or intergalactic students wear their typical attire.

Some Vodyanoi choose to settle on other planets with members of other species. Members of the Vodyan diaspora have various levels of connection to the culture, and may choose to return to Yazanakhab on scholarly or religious pilgrimages or to visit family.

### Fashion

Vodyanoi place a high value on aesthetics, and as such, are a very fashion-forward species. Popular styles change frequently, but some form of drapery is always present: capes, cloaks, silks, and scarves are a staple for nearly every trend. Vodyanoi make use of bright colors and gradients in their outfits as well; white, black, and grey are reserved exclusively for times of mourning, off-planet missions, and other serious affairs.

Vodyan jewelry often consists of the off-pink metal rogozite which is exclusive to Yazanakhab. Necklaces and amulets, chains, and piercings are all extremely common. Other metals and gems, especially gold and silver, are used in smaller quantities as accents.

Tattoos are especially significant in Vodyan culture as a mark of their continued perseverance throughout the ages. Vodyanoi most commonly get tattoos of the star chart at a significant moment in their lives, but floral or marine designs are also popular. The meaning of the tattoo is kept to the owner alone, and it is considered a great act of trust to share a tattoo’s meaning with another. Constellation tattoos often become recurring motifs in a Vodyanoi’s style, becoming the equivalent of a symbol in other cultures.

### Belief System

The Vodyanoi are ancestor worshippers, believing their spirits serve as messengers between the living, the dead, and their deity. Worship is a misnomer in this case; Vodyanoi do not treat the deceased as deities, but rather “worship” them as an act of filial duty, devotion, and respect, as well as to seek their guidance on behalf of the living. Most Vodyanoi worship significant figures in their lives, such as deceased partners, family, or close friends. Spirits are believed to help govern living Vodyanoi and the natural world, and therefore provide good health and fortune to the good, and divine punishment to the evil. Rituals involving spiritual possession are widespread—during these rites, practitioners enter a trancelike state and may provide supernatural advice, perform miracles or medical cures, and enact extreme physical feats, indicating the presence of spirits in the devotee.

In addition to spirits, the Vodyanoi also believe in a creator deity. After setting the laws of the universe into motion, the creator took a very hands-off approach in order to observe the actions of its progeny. It is widely believed that this god created the spirits of the Vodyanoi to govern the natural world and act on its behalf, and that throughout their gradual evolution, their physical forms came to match their souls. It is believed that the creator made Vodyan souls in its image, and therefore, it is depicted as having four arms, four eyes, two horns, and a tail. Four is generally considered a lucky number in Vodyan culture because of this.

Gravesites and areas of mass-death are considered sacred in the Vodyan belief system, and defacing such sites is punishable by exile. Vodyanoi may pay respects by leaving offerings at shrines in their homes or by traveling to sacred sites to pray. Offerings may vary but generally consist of food, valuables like precious metals and gemstones, flowers, bones, or personal stories from a Vodyanoi’s life. Cleaning shrines or tombstones is also considered an act of respect to the dead.

In addition to ancestor worship, personal spirituality makes up a significant portion of the Vodyan belief system. For most Vodyanoi, a significant portion of their day is devoted to meditation and a specialized form of yoga designed to align their bodies and minds with the stars in order to cleanse the spirit and ground the practitioner.

### Death

While uncommon, Vodyanoi can still die from injury or disease. Their bodies decompose within 10 minutes of their deaths, appearing as disintegration. The remaining ashes are usually buried, and the dead’s possessions are redistributed to family or friends.

### Romance

The relationships between Vodyanoi are fluid: individuals may break up and get together multiple times during a relationship, have multiple partners, seek companionship in exclusively platonic or sexual fashion, or not seek relationships at all. They do not have definite terms for relationships since they vary so much between individuals.

### Language

The Vodyan language, known as Yazayk, has a primarily vowel-based phoneme inventory supplemented by voiced consonants and approximates. The exceptions to this are the /f/ and /s/ sounds, which can be made by passing high pressure air or water through the gill slits, and the /k/ and /t/ sounds, which can be approximated with clicking. In addition to traditional phonemes, Vodyanoi also make use of clicking and whistling which travel longer distances in underwater environments. A chart of the consonants and vowels in Yazayk is provided below (sounds in italics are not present in human language because of biological constraints):

Yazayk IPA Vowel Chart
 Close-Mid
 Open-Mid
 Open

Yazayk uses OSV word order and is a highly tonal language. It has eight emotional tones and eight descriptive tones. Emotional tones are applied over multiple words and phrases to indicate the emotions of the speaker, while descriptive tones change the meanings of singular words to which they are applied. In addition to this, Yazayk is agglutinative, so affixes are added to words to change the meaning. Affixes are also applied to verbs to dictate who or what is completing an action, and the tense of the verb. Multiple affixes can be added to one word, leading to words that are able to serve as sentences on their own. A few of these affixes include:

 -yaza-
 -sm
 -a
 -ik

Vodyanoi are capable of making two sounds at once, one through the mouth as usual and one through the gills. This phenomenon is known as gillspeak, and is often used to establish information about the speaker or how the speaker knows a piece of information. Since Yazayk is an evidential language, meaning that statements require a sense of how the speaker knows a piece of information, gillspeak is used to establish the source of knowledge. Vodyanoi will state the primary part of a sentence (ex: “The boy was reading”) with their mouths, and add the modifier through gillspeak (ex: “I know because I saw” or “I assume”) at the same time. In addition, since Vodyanoi frequently change their pronouns and gender expression, they may use gillspeak to update the listener without interrupting the flow of conversation. Using gillspeak in conversation comes naturally to Vodyanoi, but may be difficult for non-native speakers, who are not used to listening to two phrases at once. Non-Vodyan speakers can not use gillspeak because of differences in oral physiology, and have their own ways of communicating the above—generally by stating it after the given phrase.

## History

### Early Ages

Vodyanoi first organized themselves into sparse city-states to defend themselves from predators. Rival city-states fought over metals like copper, tin, iron, and the Yazanakhab-exclusive rogozite, which amplified their natural psionics.

Despite the dangers posed to them by the environment, Vodyanoi advanced technologically very quickly. No information was lost with the death of individuals, so ideas could be developed and improved over the course of generations. Within a few hundreds of years of their organization into a society they developed space travel, advanced medicine, and detailed understandings of science and art. The city-states were abolished and opposing groups of Vodyanoi came together to make peace.

### Middle Ages

#### Dark Era

The "Dark Ages" of Vodyan history occurred with the rise of the tyrant Vartiaire, who sought to strengthen the Vodyanoi in preparation for their integration into the galactic community. Ey rose to power through eir natural charisma, by appealing to the fears of Vodyanoi, and allying with extraterrestrials, giving em significant social, political, and military power. Ey began making small changes to Vodyan society to better prepare the species for intergalactic culture: a monetary system was introduced, other languages were taught in schools, and widespread mining began in order to acquire resources for trade. While Vartiaire's intentions were pure, ey were quickly corrupted by the power ey held, and began making more and more drastic changes to society to strengthen emself. Mimicking the social structure of other species, ey installed a rigid caste system—psionic ability, coloration, and horn shape all played into a Vodyanoi's social status, causing a significant and sudden shift in quality of life within the species. This shift was followed by extreme outrage, but through manipulation and help from an alien military able to put down uprisings, Vartiaire was able to stay in power.

During this time, many traditional Vodyan customs were abandoned due to a lack of resources and restrictions in the lower class majority. The majority of materials required for cultural practices were funneled to the upper class, leaving the lower class to fight for scraps among themselves. Lower class Vodyanoi were banned from becoming spiritual leaders, restricting much of the population from a significant source of cultural pride and comfort. With limited access to art, music, education, and spirituality, the morale of the lower class rapidly declined. In addition, alien species were encouraged to commodify Vodyan culture, leading to a misrepresentation of Vodyanoi and their traditions to the galactic community. Few culturally significant works or discoveries were made during this time because of this, hence the period being labeled the Dark Era.

#### The Renaissance

The anger of the lower class cumulated in the Renaissance, a collective revolution to remove Vartiaire from leadership and dismantle the social structure ey put into place. Led by Athanasius, a worker disillusioned with the state of Vodyan society, revolutionaries gradually seized significant economic, cultural, and religious locations, causing a disruption significant enough to force Vartiaire to surrender. This was not without loss, however; the first stages of the Renaissance were the bloodiest time in Vodyan history, with both sides of the already small population being decimated in conflicts.

After eir surrender, Vartiaire and eir closest supporters were beheaded, marking the first and only execution in Vodyan history. Eir execution was broadcasted globally, setting a violent example for any sympathizers, present or future, who sought to harm the Vodyanoi's autonomy.

The later stages of the Renaissance consisted of the reconstruction and improvement of society by the surviving Vodyanoi, starting with the reversal of most of Vartiaire's policies. The oppressive outsiders were expelled from Yazanakhab, and passionate Vodyan nationalism became more widespread. The modern-day paths system was introduced, followed by a unanimous vote to make Athanasius the first Lodestar. A massive uptick of interest in old Vodyan spirituality occurred, and spiritual traditions were changed to become more accessible to newcomers. Vartiaire's fall inspired artwork and music, and new and old styles were combined to separate new Vodyan culture from that under Vartiaire's reign. Many of these changes were pioneered by young Vodyanoi, who came of age during and after the early stages of the Renaissance or from the population boom following Vartiaire's fall.

### Modern Ages

Vodyanoi began a campaign to colonize the uninhabited planets of their system for scientific purposes, and observe other sentient life from afar. They brought it upon themselves to facilitate the spread of life throughout their system, and eventually their galaxy by manipulating the genetics of organisms to allow them to better suit alien environments. This mindset also led to the development of the Vodyan equivalent of Sburb, where a select few would be responsible for bringing life to a new universe. An embassy was established on Eadala, the inhabitable moon, to facilitate positive relationships with other spacefaring species. The Vodyanoi established themselves as a neutral party in intergalactic conflicts, adopting a non-interventionalist policy outside of assisting allies in toppling oppressive empires.

In addition, Vodyanoi began developing time travel technology in secret, with a goal of changing the past to save those killed in the Renaissance—their population was yet to recover from the amount of death the revolution brought, and intergenerational trauma scarred nearly every Vodyanoi, who sought relief for their anguish.

## Naming Conventions

Vodyanoi have a single name with four syllables. Vodyanoi in the diaspora may take a name with the conventions of the society they live in and a traditional Vodyan name. Vodyanoi will accept nicknames given to them by other species.

## Named/Notable Characters

### Historical Figures

* Vartiaire (ey/em): Known as "The Tyrant," rose to power during the Dark Ages.
* Athanasius (xe/xyr): The first Lodestar, led the Vodyan revolution during the Renaissance.

### Sburb Players

* Sophonias (vi/vir): Seer of Time
* Astratavar (e/em): Heir of Mind
* Urania (ae/aer): Maid of Space
* Viktoria (xe/xem): Knight of Doom

## Trivia

* In Sburb, Vodyanoi tend towards the Time and Doom aspects.

## Etymology and Inspiration

* Vodyanoi from Vodyanoi, a type of water spirit in Slavic mythology
* Animogenesis, from “anima” meaning mind, “genesis” meaning origin or creation

## Gallery

Sophonias (vi/vir), a dreamcaster VodyanoiUrania (ae/aer), a lightworker VodyanoiViktoria (xe/xem), a gridkeeper Vodyanoi