Algals

Algals, or sentient algae, are the first sentient species to arise in Creation. Individual sentient algae are only around 10 cm in size, but may join together into vast colonies with their kin. These colonies join not only bodies, but also minds, leading to highly complex 'mind-hives' which fuse their component minds into one consensus intellect. When such colonies grow too large to maintain a consensus mind, the hive detaches the 'aberrants' so they might found a new colony elsewhere.

Like their mundane kin, Algals feed on oceanic nutrients and sunlight. In times of scarcity, they can digest the meat of sea animals as well, but prefer not to.

Algals in natural form are voiceless and communicate with visual stimuli, specifically light and motion. They emit bioluminescent blasts and displays of light in intricate patterns alongside dance-like movements as their language. Algae linked together in a colony join neural pathways, allowing for instant and 'telepathic' communication within the hive.

The Algal species has undergone considerable division into three distinct subraces or civilizations. The majority of Algals belong to the Deep Algal subrace.

## Deep Algals

### History

The very first race to awaken on Aebrirea has seen a great deal of change since the beginning of their history. The Algals were born to a world-sea of endless nutrients and plenty, sheltered by the love of the Sea-Spirit. They carry memories of this innocent paradise in their tales, but it is a long time past. The seas have been sundered. The most ancient places of the Algals lie now underneath the masses of continents. Beasts fill the depths, and though the Deep Algals have mastered their environment, it can be a fraught existence.

Over the past century, skirmishes with Ardent Algals near the City of the First Children have become increasingly common and led to a great deal of mutual distrust and hostility.

### Society

The Deep Algals live in cities of coral and forests of kelp in the deep oceans, or on and within cetaceans and Leviathans as nomads. They only construct artificial dwellings when the seafloor is bare, prefering to use what the Spirit has already given them. Each settlement is home to many colonies. These colonies are made of fewer individuals than those of their Ardent kin, for they do not practice Ardency and do not seek to assimilate minds too different from their own.

Deep Algals make little use of tools, preferring to Shape themselves as necessary instead. They have domesticated leviathans and other beasts of the sea into their service through Shaping and conditioning, using them as transports, beasts of burden and rarely as food.

The Deep Algals are not an unified civilization. Each settlement or nomadic pod handles their own affairs. Their colonies generally seek decision-making by consensus, but may choose singular leaders in times of war and crisis. Alliances are common enough, generally raised against mutual external threats – battles among the Deep Algals themselves are rare.

Deep Algals view the land-dwelling races with distrust. Some leviathan riders even attack ships on the surface for their goods or for sport. The Algals have not forgotten the horrors of the land-dwellers' coming, when new continents rose and decimated their numbers. As they rarely leave the deep ocean, they have little contact with them in any case. They have some dealings with Baólians, with the Sea-Spirit vouching for the amphibious folk.

### Culture

Deep Algal culture is inclined towards conservatism and tradition, but they are not immune to the Law of Constant Evolution. Young colonies often challenge the status quo and push the limits of what is allowed, leading both to new technologies and practices being adopted, and to the birth of more Abominations. Leviathan riders and nomads are thought to be especially volatile and prone to radical new ideas.

The great joy of Deep Algals is still in performances of light. Deep Algal light-poems are intricate and sophisticated displays that can last for hours, with subtleties of intensity and color that outsiders are hopelessly lost with. Leviathan and fish racing, creative Shaping and wave-dancing performances are other common pleasures of the Deep Algals. A particular delight found in most Deep Algal settlements are large communal gardens where curiously Shaped aquatic plants can be found and enjoyed.

### Religion

The Deep Algals primarily worship the Sea-Spirit, showing her respect through light-poems and ritual performances. The coming of the Young Gods has introduced them to deities such as Brusoil, Yggdrasil, the Teller of Tales, Prose and Ikari, who have earned their own poems and shrines in Deep Algal settlements.

### Magic

The Deep Algals today are a society deeply marked by the Art of Shaping. Tshe magic given unto them has allowed the Algals to alter their bodies and biologies to strange new heights, making it possible for them to move with ease on sea or surface, speak with voices of their own, obtain great strength and endurance and more besides. It has also brought dangers: Deep Algal society fears the Abominations, those who transgress the approved Shapings and turn themselves into monsters evolving in uncontrolled and frenzied ways.

### **Military**

Deep Algal cities are defended by war-formed colonies and Leviathan riders. They utilize magics such as Vigor as well as solar, lunar and elemental magics, altering their bodies to better channel them. Other magics are mostly unknown.

### Notable Figures

* Chuult-Shumo: The first leviathan rider and Legend emulated by many young Deep Algal colonies.
* Shaalt-Meshug: A divinely inspired master of Shaping turned extremely dangerous Abomination.

## **Ardent Algals**

The Ardent Algals dwell in the City of the First Children off the coast of the Isle of Ouroboros and its surrounding waters. They are a people deeply affected by the Art of Ardency gifted to them by the Maker Bãsn. This magical discipline allows mental and spiritual focus through meditation and self-control, leading to a state of purity in which the Law of Narrative Satisfaction can be harnessed to tweak and bend laws of nature.

### Society

The Ardent Algals call themselves the Bãsn-Shaal-Khlomet, 'the Favored Children of Bãsn'. They are governed by a council of colonies most advanced in their studies of Ardency, known as the Masters. All others are expected to submit to their will and live a strictly disciplined existence.

Though the surface waters allow for ample sunlight and aquacultural practices maintain large numbers of fish and cetaceans for consumption, overpopulation after centuries of steady growth has left almost all of the city covered in a covering of Algal colonies. In the absence of a place where they can soak in sunlight, the less fortunate of their society – generally, those unable to progress far in Ardency – are forced to subsist on fish and seaborne nutrients alone. The Masters disallow the expansion of the sacred City, which has forced some Ardent Algals to seek new lives elsewhere and found independent colonies in nearby waters.

The Ardent Algals are isolationist and ignorant of the outside world. They usually attack outsiders on sight and use their bodies to feed their young. They have been known to make deals with those offering something they want, but have no concept of honor and will keep to any pacts or promises only so long as it benefits them.

A notable lineage among the Ardent Algals are the Fire Will Algals, an elemental bloodline. Untolerated in the City, they inhabit a smaller settlement in nearby waters and craft buildings and objects of solid flame.

### Culture

Ardent Algals are often cold, pragmatic and seemingly amoral, for these are values instilled by the Masters. Purity leaves little room for emotion and conscience. Ardent Algals who do not delve deeply into Ardency still retain more personality and emotion, but are expected to conform regardless. Ardency also allows the Ardent Algals to form larger colonies than their Deep cousins, as individual algae subsume their wills to the broader collective.

Ardent cultural practices are meant to serve some purpose. Light-poems exist among the Ardent Algals, but they primarily serve as learning aids and focuses for Ardency. Wave-dancing and other arts are performed en masse with the intention of instilling discipline and formation action into young colonies.

### Religion

The Ardent Algals devote themselves the Great Bãsn, honoring him through rituals of light and motion as well as sacrifices of captured lifeforms. Since the passing of the Maker who created the persona, Bãsn has grown with the power of Myth into an independent divinity. The Algals do not openly worship other gods, but have respect for Lazat, the Architect, the High Moon Holder and Yggdrasil. Cults have formed for these deities. They have an ambivalent relationship to the Sea-Spirit, who sees them as children who have lost their way.

### Magic

The Ardent Algals are devoted to the practice of Ardency. Other magic is shunned as distracting from the utter focus demanded by Ardency. Mystical architecture occurring naturally in the City is utilized to focus Ardent practices further, however, and certain rituals and symbols are used as aids by novices as they train.

### Military

All Ardent Algals are expected to fight against invaders, but fighting efforts are led by Masters of Ardency. They empower physical blows and bend the laws of reality with their advanced grasp of Ardency to overcome their foes.

## **Void Algals**

### History

The youngest branch of the Algal race, the Void Algals were born from the desire of the Deep Algal Shlim-Boolt, who sought to see the stars of the Void. Shlim-Boolt received the Void Scythe, which allows its wielder to survive in the Void and cut open Cosmic Paths at will. Through extensive Shaping, Shlim-Boolt and those Algals who chose to follow him transformed themselves into beings capable on surviving in the airless void purely on solar light and radiation.

### Society

These Void Algals are a strange breed as far as the other Algals are concerned. They live in freely drifting colonies in the orbit of Aebrirea and the wider Void, spending their days communing with the stars – sending messages with their own lights and seeking meaning in the lights of the starscape. They have no real use of technology, no real pressures of space or resources, and live spartan but peaceful lives devoted to worship and strange light-poetry.

### Religion

The Void Algals revere the stars and the Star-Trails, often performing poems on Legends they identify within the Trails. They worship a great many gods – most of all Ülmánaga the Star Maiden, but also Brusoil, the High Moon Holder, the Architect, the Ember, Katha the Many and the Wayfarer. Unknown to them, one of the stars blinking strange messages to them is no true star, but the eye of an Outer God cautiously spreading its influence among the Void Algals.

### Military

Void Algals rarely need to protect themselves, but when endangered rely on innate reservoirs of magical energies Shaped into their bodies. These gather solar, lunar and elemental magics that are released in directed, volatile bursts to defend against the rare voidborne predator or hunter, such as a grazing Voidbeast mistaking them for food.

### Notable Figures

* Shlim-Boolt: The first of the Void Algals and bearer of the Void Scythe.