Difference between revisions of "LeviathanTempest:NuClan"
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===='''Genetics'''==== | ===='''Genetics'''==== | ||
| − | + | They say if a Nu wants to trace his ancestry he should start by looking at his great uncle's second cousins. Like ripples spreading the touch of the divine bloodline moves outwards from a Nu to his surrounding family, often manifesting in ways that cause dead ends on the family tree. Yet a few branches will be spared. Like runner shoots these often are or soon will be the most distant to the original Leviathan; genetically, culturally or even geographically. It is these distant and healthy relations which are most likely to give birth to the next full blooded Leviathan while the more direct descendants are often destined to die out or leave their heritage behind entirely. | |
| + | |||
| + | Nu are most commonly born out the blue as it where. The healthy branches tend to be free of Lemashu and other markers of the Tribe. Even culturally most tend to be distant from the unusual side of their heritage. It is rare for the same branch of the family tree to produce more than one Leviathan before the cycle repeats itself but several escaping branches may exist in parallel. As far as anyone can tell in regards to when and if they produce another Leviathan each branch is entirely independent of the others. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===='''Puberty'''==== | ||
| + | The Elements themselves react when a Nu begins to claim his birthright. Water may twist and flow in unnatural patterns as she walks by. As she steps into the shower every drop of water boils in a flash burning everything but herself. Most terrifying of all is when they lose the ability to tell themselves apart from the water; lying in the bath she feels not the water on her flesh but the porcelain touching the water. There are patterns in this, but they are patterns unrelated to the Nu herself and obscure enough to thwart any but the most dedicated meteorologist. | ||
| + | |||
| + | While they possess the same Tribal instinctual as their cousins the Nu's instincts only appear after they have claimed their full birthright. The only force that pushes a Nu onwards is natural human curiosity: She cannot outrun herself and so sooner or later she must attempt to experiment. As she begins to master the elements she drains the mystical pressure that surrounds her. Though things can never return to normal she can now has enough control to seek some measure of stability. A Nu who never attempts to master her power may remain stuck in this transitional phase forever. For all the drawbacks of the Tribe's condition this is arguably worse worse, or at least more likely to lead to an early grave. She is spared none of the Tribe's curses, the Wake exists in full. In essence she has traded control over her abilities for nothing at all.<!--A lot of this was the answer to a question: How are Nu still roughly as common as other Leviathans (I think that all the major strains are equally common. However I put the birth/(“infant mortality”) rate in three tiers: 1) Dagonites, 2) Bahamatans, Lahamu and Thalassans, 3) Oceaneads, Nu and Tannanim.) when their genetics prevents the family lines from surviving. | ||
| − | The Nu | + | The idea that Nu blood is almost nomadic. The established bloodlines tend to die off or purge themselves of Tribe blood while the true heritage travels far to re-establish itself from scratch is a rather unusual one and I think it works well. I think I might have got the idea from strawberries.--> |
===='''Evolution'''==== | ===='''Evolution'''==== | ||
| − | The True Form of the Nu is a return to the water that spawned it - | + | The True Form of the Nu is a return to the water that spawned it - fluid and water-logged forms that echo tadpoles, octopuses, squid and spineless ocean life. Their large and awkward-seeming forms bely surprising grace, and many Nu are nearly invisible in deep water - their bodies are akin to natural extensions of the Depths. |
===='''Ecology'''==== | ===='''Ecology'''==== | ||
| + | ====='''Family'''===== | ||
| + | The Nu reproduce with difficulty - while pure Tribe members are no less numerous than their vanishingly-rare cousins, the line tends to either deeply mark its mortal kin (often in ways that render them incapable of furthering the bloodline) or leave little trace at all. A bloodline that's given rise to a Nu tends to manifest this instability either as a social dynamic - a family tree with a lot of dead ends - or physically, with complications and hardships. | ||
| + | ====='''Lahmasu'''===== | ||
| + | The Nu claim as their own the ''Heqen'', a Lahmasu lineage marked with amphibious features. Most Heqen are frog-like in appearance, but as the bloodline becomes rarified their skin becomes transparent and liquid, like that of a jellyfish. The Heqen share the Nu's connection to the Primordial Sea, and members of the lineage often cultivates complex symbolic systems of worshipping the Tribe. | ||
| + | ====='''Cults'''===== | ||
The cult of a Nu generally centers less on the Nu him or herself and more on the truths suggested by the Nu's existence - the reverence for a lost primordial lifestyle, tinged with elements of horrified subservience and doubt. The Nu often profit from the anxiety that they present to their followers - their alien appearance and power is such that their requests are rarely denied, no matter how extreme or unusual. | The cult of a Nu generally centers less on the Nu him or herself and more on the truths suggested by the Nu's existence - the reverence for a lost primordial lifestyle, tinged with elements of horrified subservience and doubt. The Nu often profit from the anxiety that they present to their followers - their alien appearance and power is such that their requests are rarely denied, no matter how extreme or unusual. | ||
| − | ====''' | + | ===='''Vestiges'''==== |
| − | '''Elements''', Awareness, Vitality | + | '''Elements''', Awareness, Sanctity, Vitality |
==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ==== | ==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ==== | ||
Latest revision as of 11:55, 13 August 2011
Contents
Nu[edit]
[Picture: The Symbol of Nu: An Egyptian-style stone cartouche, lying left-to-right horizontally. The following Gardiner hieroglyphs are carved on the cartouche: a leaping fish (K4), then a heart (F34), bleeding into a bowl (V31), and finally a stalk of grain (M23). Above them, a line of five stars (N14). All around them, the inner border is made of sinuous wave-carvings. ]
[Picture: Central. A man or woman, entirely covered in clothes. This includes a baggy hoodie, sweater pants and sports shoes. The figure is misshapen, with one shoulder higher than the other and a folded knee. The posture is jumpy, as if he/she was ready to bolt at any time. All the clothes are soaked and dripping. The hood is pulled over his/her head, and you only see steam rising from the location of the mouth. The figure is wearing a golden, heavy medallion on a chain over his jumper. Three small tentacles with sucker cups are sliding out from each of the sleeves.]
Morphology[edit]
The Nu are believed to be the lineage with the most direct connection to water not as a place to live but as an essential component of life - their Tribal forms tend towards the gelatinous and sinuous, and their bloodline tends towards further exploration of this body-morphing fluidity. Embracing this, the Nu are seen as naturally connected to the ancient life that the Tribe seeks to reclaim, and are expected to be living a deep and introspective life (even when this is not the case.) Their malleability and the expectation of introversion does serve to unfairly prejudice other Tribe members against them, however - they are expected to give way in the face of pressure.
Progenitor[edit]
The Nu claim to be descended from the Progenitor Nu, sometimes called Naunet or Nun. According to them, their progenitor is the first of Tiamat's Children, and the most akin to the primordial waters, and their natural grasp of the control of primal forces is meant to serve as evidence of this unusually "blue" blood.
Genetics[edit]
They say if a Nu wants to trace his ancestry he should start by looking at his great uncle's second cousins. Like ripples spreading the touch of the divine bloodline moves outwards from a Nu to his surrounding family, often manifesting in ways that cause dead ends on the family tree. Yet a few branches will be spared. Like runner shoots these often are or soon will be the most distant to the original Leviathan; genetically, culturally or even geographically. It is these distant and healthy relations which are most likely to give birth to the next full blooded Leviathan while the more direct descendants are often destined to die out or leave their heritage behind entirely.
Nu are most commonly born out the blue as it where. The healthy branches tend to be free of Lemashu and other markers of the Tribe. Even culturally most tend to be distant from the unusual side of their heritage. It is rare for the same branch of the family tree to produce more than one Leviathan before the cycle repeats itself but several escaping branches may exist in parallel. As far as anyone can tell in regards to when and if they produce another Leviathan each branch is entirely independent of the others.
Puberty[edit]
The Elements themselves react when a Nu begins to claim his birthright. Water may twist and flow in unnatural patterns as she walks by. As she steps into the shower every drop of water boils in a flash burning everything but herself. Most terrifying of all is when they lose the ability to tell themselves apart from the water; lying in the bath she feels not the water on her flesh but the porcelain touching the water. There are patterns in this, but they are patterns unrelated to the Nu herself and obscure enough to thwart any but the most dedicated meteorologist.
While they possess the same Tribal instinctual as their cousins the Nu's instincts only appear after they have claimed their full birthright. The only force that pushes a Nu onwards is natural human curiosity: She cannot outrun herself and so sooner or later she must attempt to experiment. As she begins to master the elements she drains the mystical pressure that surrounds her. Though things can never return to normal she can now has enough control to seek some measure of stability. A Nu who never attempts to master her power may remain stuck in this transitional phase forever. For all the drawbacks of the Tribe's condition this is arguably worse worse, or at least more likely to lead to an early grave. She is spared none of the Tribe's curses, the Wake exists in full. In essence she has traded control over her abilities for nothing at all.
Evolution[edit]
The True Form of the Nu is a return to the water that spawned it - fluid and water-logged forms that echo tadpoles, octopuses, squid and spineless ocean life. Their large and awkward-seeming forms bely surprising grace, and many Nu are nearly invisible in deep water - their bodies are akin to natural extensions of the Depths.
Ecology[edit]
Family[edit]
The Nu reproduce with difficulty - while pure Tribe members are no less numerous than their vanishingly-rare cousins, the line tends to either deeply mark its mortal kin (often in ways that render them incapable of furthering the bloodline) or leave little trace at all. A bloodline that's given rise to a Nu tends to manifest this instability either as a social dynamic - a family tree with a lot of dead ends - or physically, with complications and hardships.
Lahmasu[edit]
The Nu claim as their own the Heqen, a Lahmasu lineage marked with amphibious features. Most Heqen are frog-like in appearance, but as the bloodline becomes rarified their skin becomes transparent and liquid, like that of a jellyfish. The Heqen share the Nu's connection to the Primordial Sea, and members of the lineage often cultivates complex symbolic systems of worshipping the Tribe.
Cults[edit]
The cult of a Nu generally centers less on the Nu him or herself and more on the truths suggested by the Nu's existence - the reverence for a lost primordial lifestyle, tinged with elements of horrified subservience and doubt. The Nu often profit from the anxiety that they present to their followers - their alien appearance and power is such that their requests are rarely denied, no matter how extreme or unusual.
Vestiges[edit]
Elements, Awareness, Sanctity, Vitality
Symbols and Associations[edit]
The Sea of Kardanj, the Mediterranean, the vice of Gluttony.
Concepts[edit]
Martial arts instructor, inscrutable guru, conspiracy theorist icon, underground artist
Quote[edit]
"You’re so beautiful. I saw you yesterday night, but I didn’t dare approach you. No, you didn’t see me. I was in the rain, outside. I saw you cry, in the dark. And I saw what you did to that poor man. Don’t cry! I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. But would you please, just… look at me?"
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