Gem Beasts

Do **NOT** confuse with Corruption as defined in SU canon, or for Corruption as defined in ACiAR.

**Gem Beasts**, also known colloquially as *Crystallo Formidabile*, are an ill-defined "race" of Gems known for their unique, animalistic appearances. Though controversial within Bios-Krystallos, they still make up a sizable population of Gemkind.

## Origins

Originally, Gems began as simple ambulatory forms, traversing their world in the name of pure survival and exploration. As Gem life "evolved" along with the changing climate of the planet, their forms grew more complex, taking on any shape necessary, pseudo-organic or otherwise, to maintain their lives and express their growing intellectual capability.

It was with what became known as the "Krystalloi Awakening" that White Diamond III gained a new shape: an erect bipedal form, a "jack-of-all-trades" body type with unique advantages in endurance and dexterity. With her authority, she declared all Gems that follow her to shape themselves in her image, which most of them accomplished with mixed results. Any of her followers, or hapless bystanders, that refused to adopt WDIII's form were shattered on sight.

Though WDIII soon after lost her life in a territorial war with upcoming colored Diamonds, her form spread memetically throughout Bios-Krystallos, gaining the name "Crystallo Sapiens", with other forms becoming "Formidabile" and "Mechanicus". These "lesser" forms became the unseen work force behind Gem Homeworld Society, while the elite "sapients" could enjoy the fruits of their labors and relax long enough to use their increasing intelligence for greater purposes, such as solving population decay.

Unfortunately for the first Kindergarten administrators, they found that a small percentage of new births produced "Formidabile" Gems, beastial and seemingly unintelligent. They couldn't simply shatter these "defects", for more kept coming alongside the desired "Sapiens". Instead, most Primary Color Diamonds allowed these so-called "abominations" to exist, provided they could join the beast work force which kept the planet going. A few of these new Gem Beasts even became "pets" of Diamonds and other elite Gems for their aesthetically pleasing forms and sounds.

However, Gem Beasts as beasts of burden soon fell out of favor as Gem technology evolved to the point of pure automation, creating self-maintaining systems powered by strings of "Mechanicus" Gems and other high-power sources that took Bios-Krystallos society into overdrive, caniballizing the planet and transforming it into an *ecumenopolis*. However, without further planetary resources, both the planet and its people needed to find more and better sources of energy, minerals, and territory.

Gem Beasts were left behind within the hollows of the planet while "sapients" searched for new worlds to plunder. In doing so, they refined their Kindergarten operations to produce more "evolved" Gems, though Beasts still remained no matter what; in fact, the more Kindergarten managers struggled for pure "sapient" populations, the more defective Gems were born; these Gems seemed like beasts forced into "sapient" form, barely functional as people yet in the people's form, creating a disconcerting effect amongst Gemkind.

Eventually, tired of the fruitless attempts in selective production, most Diamonds allowed for Gem Beasts within their courts, even freeing those trapped within their Homeworld. However, discrimination remains at large, with very few beasts holding positions of military or political power; many remain beasts of burden or captive companions, even laboratory animals to further Gem life developments.

## Characteristics

Depending on their planet of origin, Gem Beasts mimic animal life, or have vaguely animalistic form reminescent of early Gem life. Gem Beasts on other worlds often clash with native species for territory, shelter, and even food. Gem Beasts are the most proficient at mimicking digestive organs in order to supplement their energy supplies; it may also be a way to earn acceptance from organisms around them and participate in regular feeding times.

Though up to immense controversy, Gem Beasts have the potential for, if not explicitly possess, as great an intellectual faculty as "sapient" Gems. Unfortunately, thanks to Diamond beadledom, they "fail" tests of personhood for lack of social and science skills. If given the proper utilities, most Gem Beasts show average to excellent aptitude for applied sciences, while a few so-called "sapients" may only know the skills necessary for the designation, "failing" science tests otherwise.

Particularly, Gem Beasts usually lack the capacity for speech, though many respond with proto-lingual responses and simple signals. Many do understand words spoken to them, but cannot respond "properly". Only a few Gems lack total language processing faculties, even among "Sapiens".

## Types of Beast

Though Gem Beasts are as varied as the minerals they derive from, there are some known similarities cultivated for their utilization within Gem society.

* **Diamond Dogs (DDogs):** the first leaders of the Gem Homeworld, DDogs are vaguely borzoi -like, ethereal beings, able to switch between quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion. Their lack of speech organs led to mastery of body language and using other parts to vibrate the air in strong signals. Very rare nowadays due to WDIII's new standard.
	+ For DDogs in modern times, they're often seen as *lesser* Lesser Diamonds, subservient to even the lowliest Bort regardless of their true clarity. The only leading DDogs have been the first of nearly every non-fancy Diamond lineage, with the exceptions of Fluorescent Diamond I (a non-DDog shape, only vaguely humanoid), Pink Diamond I (born after the Awakening and blessed by White Diamond III), and other Lesser Diamonds born after WDIII's departure.

* **Corundum Cube:** Cubes are boxy creatures resembling small primates, though distinctly geometric in build. Valued for their ability to adapt to city structures and other artificial environments, Cubes do well with computer work, picking out "computer bugs" like a chimpanzee picks out fleas. Like all Corundums, they can also control temperature and classic elements associated with it.
	+ Cubes are sensitive to emotional feedback, and will cower for days to weeks at a time if they meet with someone in a bad mood, even briefly. Because of this, Cubes need an isolated yet social environment, preferably among their own kind, "sapient" Corundums, or just reasonably nice people.
* **Salt Cicadas:** insectoid in appearance, often with the comical appearance of a waddling cephalothorax, Cicadas vaguely resemble true bugs of many species, not just *cicadidae*. They are so named for their loud signals, strong enough to drown out other sounds, travel through space with little distortion, and even damage light bodies to corruption.
	+ True Halite (rock salt) Cicadas in particular were once used as living WMD, trained to release their deafening scream *en bloc* to disable and even destroy other enemy Gems. However, due to halite's water solubility and low hardness, as well as the stubborn nature of Cicadas, technology such as the corruption bomb inevitably rendered them obsolete.

* **Silicate Grunt:** usually resembling carnivorous, often caniform or feliform, quadrupeds, Grunts favor pure physical work, otherwise roaming the land in search of physical and intellectual fulfillment. They do best in pulling heavy loads, running long distances, and "sniffing out" certain mineral types.
	+ Many Grunts, especially tectosilicates, appear eyeless, actually having "hidden" eyes under skin or keratinous protrusions to protect their keen vision. Some Diamonds say they can see energies beyond normal Gem perception.

### Silicate offshoots

* **Jade Worms:** though related to Grunts for being inosilicates, they're engineered long and multi-limbed for the purpose of breeding the ultimate pilot: dutiful, tactile, and flexible. Nephrite Worm shuttlecrafts "worm" their way through space with ease, outmaneuvering enemy fire while launching deadly attacks of their own. Jadeite Worms, while also pilots, mostly specialize in land- and seacraft.
	+ Worms naturally excell in geophagy, processing dirt for Kindergarten use as well as emergency fuel. In addition, many secrete powerful acids or hallucinogens to repel enemies and alter the environment.
* **Tourmaline Balloons:** similar in appearance to other Silicate Grunts, Balloons specialize in elastic and electrical properties, swelling to tremendous sizes while charging up with equally immense energy. Balloons often act as batteries in emergency situations for their capacity, and can even hide armies within their protective bubble bodies.
	+ Very few "sapient" Tourmalines possess the elasticity of Balloons, with the exception of conglomerate Dravite-Elbaite; to their advantage, DravEl's shrewdness makes their elastic powers far more practical than the simple bubbling of Balloons.
* **Topaz Chunks:** almost as blocky as Cubes, but distinctly nesosilicate, Chunks may be used as living "building blocks", often as the foundation for mobile computer systems monitored by the Cubes. Outside of building materials, Chunks are especially useful in carrying heavy loads such as Diamond thrones and Gem weapons; however, many Diamond courts ban the latter treatment as certain weapons have the capacity to shatter those carrying them through their power; other courts simply let their Chunks hide to safety after delivering their payload.
	+ Their enormous and sturdy foundations hide an emotionally sensitive side which, though it aids in motivating their loyalty and duty, may also frighten and sadden them easily. For this, they partner best with Cubes in empathizing with their sensitivities and aiding them out of fearful situations, especially with emotional abusers.
* **Zircon Fowl:** the most deviated of silicate designs, Fowl are poultry-like creatures that, though wingless, can leap great distances on their bird-like legs. Morally ambiguous, Fowl tend to fend for themselves, untamed by any force lesser than their own kind or an allied Diamond Dog; the latter they will follow like an imprinted duckling to do their bidding, with only few exceptions (notably if the orders conflict with their own stubborn self-preservation).
	+ The lawyeresque cleverness of "sapient" Zircons shows in Fowl through their elaborate escape attempts from problem situations. Through contortion, speed, and observation of their surroundings, they can overcome physical obstacles and even defeat the greatest enemy DDogs through their utilization and manipulation of the environment.